The Shadow Boundary
by PhoenixCaptain
Summary: A stolen Shadow Crystal. A new dark power. After his quest to defeat Ganondorf, Link has been trying to settle back into his normal, calm lifestyle - but it seems that his life is destined to be anything but calm. [Longer summary inside] Takes place after the events of Twilight Princess. -Rated T for blood and violence-
1. Prologue

**Summary:**

**A year after Ganondorf was defeated, it seems that peace has come to Hyrule. But when Link's Shadow Crystal is stolen, he goes chasing after it, only to discover that the kingdom has been plunged into chaos once again. With a foreign princess and her counselor sowing the seeds of war, Link - along with the help of a few friends - must embrace his destiny as the Chosen Hero again.**

**A/N: So... this is my first ever fanfic here! This particular fanfic has gone through four dang rewrites... lots of work, haha. Since I want to improve my writing as much as possible, I'm open to critique - even if it's blunt and/or harsh. If you think something is stupid or implausible, or if my grammar is crap, tell me! :3 ...With all of my blabbering out of the way, let's begin. o3o**

* * *

Midna stood before the Mirror Chamber, and pressed a bundle of black satin cloth into Link's hands. "Here. I'm sure you'll want this." She smiled, and Link carefully peeled the satin away. The Shadow Crystal sat within the folds of dark cloth, its orange markings glowing. Link looked up into Midna's face, noticing for the first time how tall she was. She seemed almost a full foot taller than him.

Midna looked at him for a while. "What? Don't look so confused! It's a gift. Be grateful. Just don't use it to scare people with your wolf form." She raised a brow.

Link smiled in reply, returning his gaze to the Shadow Crystal and wrapping the black satin around it once more. Then he tucked it into his pouch.

Princess Zelda was looking at them, waiting patiently. Once Link and Midna started to walk into the Mirror Chamber, she stepped up beside them, and they all stood nearby the Mirror of Twilight.

Midna turned to face Link and Zelda, her lips tilting up in a small smile. "Well... I guess that this is farewell, huh? Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know."

And at those words, Link frowned. Zelda and Midna continued to speak to each other, but their words were a blur. He hardly heard them. What did she mean, "this is farewell"? They would be able to see each other as long as the Mirror remained.

As long as the Mirror of Twilight remained. But what if it didn't? What if he could never see Midna again? No, that wasn't possible. Surely he'd be able to visit the Twilight whenever he felt like it. Why would Midna deny him that? Yet as the Princess of Twilight paused and looked at him, he knew. She was planning to destroy the Mirror, wasn't she? He stared at her, and she stared at him, and then she closed her eyes.

"Link, I..." Midna's words drifted off, as if she didn't want to continue; as if she couldn't make herself speak. Link's heart dropped. A tear rolled down Midna's cheek.

"See you later."

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, this prologue is extremely short and uneventful, so to make up for that, I'll go ahead and post the first chapter... xD; Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy! :P**


	2. Chapter One

**A/N: All right, here's the first chapter! :3 I think I'll be updating this once a week - I'm not quite sure when, maybe anywhere between Thursdays or Saturdays, but expect an update once a week! (Hopefully. xD;)**

* * *

-A year later-

A loud knock at the door rang through the house, the noise rising above the turbulent rainstorm outside. Link blearily opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Oh, no, had he woken up late again? He threw off his blankets, and without even bothering to get properly dressed, he hurried to his door. The knock sounded again, and Link paused. It was a rainy day, which meant that his help wouldn't be needed to herd the goats, since they'd be huddling inside the barn. And he couldn't think of anything else he needed to do. Besides, Fado the goat-keeper usually yelled his lungs out until Link came to the door; he never knocked. So who was standing on the other side of the door? Suddenly wary, Link pried the door open and stared at the figure on the other side.

It was a man. A tall, muscular, strange man with dark eyes that Link had never seen before. Even more wary than before, Link sized up the man, trying to look for any physical weaknesses should he need to take advantage of them. But the man only smiled at Link's suspicious frown. "It's quite cold and rainy outside," he said after a pause, as the rain poured in through the open door.

"Quite." Link stared. He knew the man was asking for shelter in a roundabout way, but he didn't care.

The man sighed patiently. "Is it all right if I take shelter here from the rain? I promise I'll be gone just as soon as it lets up."

Link paused for a moment longer, before stepping aside to allow the man to enter, then shut the door behind him. If this stranger tried anything - anything at all - then Link would need to be prepared to retaliate. He tried to tell himself that he was being far too wary, but he couldn't help it. He wasn't fond of strangers unless they proved themselves to be friendly. So far this man didn't seem so bad, though. The stranger even took off his boots as not to get the floor wet, and he asked if he could sit down before he actually did so. Link decided not to be as wary.

The man sat down in front of the fire, then heaved a deep sigh. "So. Do you know about the Dark Interlopers?"

Link was instantly suspicious again. He didn't reply, so the man continued.

"I'm a traveler - a traveling scholar, I suppose you could say. I search for stories from all over the world." He made an expansive gesture with his hands, a wide smile on his face. Then, after a moment, his smile fell. "I've asked about the Dark Interlopers everywhere I go, but nobody has been able to tell me their story. I was really hoping you knew something about them."

Still Link didn't reply. He leaned against a wall and folded his arms across his chest.

The man tried a smile. "Look, I know it seems like a strange question, and I know I sort of came out of nowhere, but I simply came across this village as I was searching for refuge from the rain. And while I'm at it, I figured I'd ask around. I really want to know - I've been searching desperately for answers on the Dark Interlopers. And how they're connected to the Twilight Realm as well."

But why? Why did this strange man want to know? "How much do you know so far?" he finally asked, breaking the long silence.

The stranger shook his head. "Not much. I know the Dark Interlopers are connected to the Twilight Realm somehow, but I don't know how. I know who the Dark Interlopers were - selfish people who wanted power. But I don't know much else, especially about the Twilight Realm. It's been spoken of as a terrible world of shadows."

Link wasn't sure how to feel about this man. Perhaps he was like Shad - thirsting after and searching desperately for knowledge. He wanted to know just for the sake of learning, and not for any malicious purposes. Link sighed. "The Dark Interlopers were banished to the Twilight Realm. It's like their prison." He left it at that; giving the man a vague description was good enough for now.

But of course the stranger asked for more. "How much do you know about this? Why were these people banished to the Twilight? And where is the Twilight? How do I get there?"

The last question made Link wary all over again. Why did the man want to know how to get there? At least there was no way to return to the Twilight, since the Mirror of Twilight was broken. Link had searched for a way back - after Midna had left, he had asked Shad if there was an alternate way into the Twilight, but the man knew of no way back. For a full year Link had ventured across Hyrule, checking every nook and cranny and cave and cliff for some way back. There was no way to return. The only thing he had to remind himself of the Twilight was the Shadow Crystal Midna had given to him.

Link shook his head in reply. "I don't know much else," he lied.

The man stood up, a frown on his face. "Oh? Is that so? Well... I suppose I should just move on, then." He started to make his way toward the door - but then he suddenly swiveled around, his fist raised into the air, and he brought it down toward Link's head in a savage arc. Eyes wide, Link quickly caught the man's arm in midair, then twisted it in a painful position. The man winced, but didn't cry out. Instead, he lunged forward with his other fist clenched, aiming toward Link's jaw. Link dodged to the side, but accidentally released the man's arm in the process. The man punched at Link again, forcing him backward until he felt his back pressed against a wall. Link tried not to panic - instead, he kicked at the man's knees, and he fell to the ground with a shout and a loud thump. Link instantly pressed his foot onto the man's back.

The man gritted his teeth and glared up at Link from his place on the floor. Link said nothing to the stranger - he instead wondered what to do with him. He was curious as to why the man had suddenly attacked, and what he wanted. He'd been speaking of the Twilight Realm - did he think that Link somehow knew a way to get there?

Suddenly the man began to writhe on the floor. Link nearly lost his balance, but he managed to remain standing, and pressed his foot harder onto his enemy's back. The man quickly reached back and pulled at Link's foot, forcing him to trip and fall sideways. Link barely managed to catch himself against a wall before he toppled to the ground, and the man scrambled to his feet. Before Link could fully recover, the man had thrown his large fist toward his head. Link didn't have time to dodge, and he saw black dots swimming at the edges of his vision as the fist connected harshly with his head. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to stay upright and take a defensive stance as he noticed his enemy picking up a small wooden sculpture from the nearby table. The man held the sculpture over Link's head and brought it crashing down. In any other circumstance, Link could have fled, but the man's punch from earlier made him far too nauseous to react in time. The sculpture crashed atop his head, and a cruel flare of pain coursed through his skull before blackness overtook his vision.

* * *

Waking up was like trying to cut through a dark, thick fog. Link forced his eyes open, and a wave of nausea overcame him. His head throbbed horribly. He tried to force himself to get up, but simply being conscious was difficult enough.

He pushed himself into a sitting position with shaking arms, and he resisted the strong urge to vomit. Why had that man attacked Link? What had he wanted? Pressing a hand to his forehead, Link looked around, and realized through blurry vision that his house was a horrid mess. Chairs and tables had been upturned; books and papers were strewn across the floor; pictures and wall ornaments had been tossed to the floor; chests and drawers were wide open and spilling their contents onto the ground.

Simply by looking around, Link could tell that the man was gone. The silence in his house was unsettling, as Link realized that the man could have taken anything he wanted. Had he stolen anything? Although his head throbbed with pain, he forced himself to search his house for any missing items. He had a terrible nagging feeling that his Shadow Crystal was gone, but refused to believe it - after all, why would the stranger know Link had the Shadow Crystal? How would he even know about it in the first place?

Yet as Link thoroughly searched his house, he discovered that his Shadow Crystal was gone. But why? Why would the man have taken it? Plenty of questions swirled through his mind, but he had no answers for any of them. All he knew was that he had to find his Shadow Crystal. He double-checked and triple-checked the place where he usually hid it, but it simply wasn't there.

Instead of bothering to get properly dressed, Link looked for his sword. It used to hang on a wall, but it wasn't there anymore, and it took a while for Link to find it. It had been hiding under an overturned table. He strapped the sword to his back and rushed outside without a second thought, trying desperately to ignore the pain in his head.

The rain had stopped, but clouds still covered the sky, casting a gray tone onto the land below. Epona stood beneath a nearby tree, and Ilia was in front of her, gently stroking her nose. They both looked over to Link as he walked toward them; Epona whinnied a greeting and Ilia smiled.

"Good morning, Link. Why are you still in your pajamas?" She gave him a critical look, as if irritated that he hadn't bothered to get dressed.

Link ignored her and stepped up beside Epona, gently patting her neck. Ilia took a step closer to him and narrowed her eyes. "You look ill." He still said nothing, and tried to climb into Epona's saddle, but Ilia grasped his arm and pulled him away. He could have easily broken free of her grasp and pushed her away, but he didn't want to hurt her. Instead, he gave her a mildly impatient glance.

"What's wrong? Please tell me, Link."

"Nothing," he replied quickly.

"Stop it," Ilia insisted, furrowing her brow. "You shouldn't be going anywhere like this. You don't look well."

"I'm fine."

"At least get dressed first."

Link glanced down at himself. He was wearing rather tight pants and a sleeveless tunic, since he found it comfortable to sleep in. He didn't even have shoes on. He supposed it would be better to get properly dressed before he set off, but he was in a hurry. He wanted to find the man who had attacked him before it was too late.

Again, he ignored Ilia's advice and climbed onto Epona's back. She tried to stop him, but he managed to escape her grasp and situated himself in the mare's saddle. "Sometimes your stubbornness is insufferable," Ilia grumbled. "Depending on how far you're going, don't you think you'd at least need rupees and food for the journey?"

Well... she had a point. He opened up Epona's saddlebags and found his wallet, bulging with plenty of rupees. He could always use those rupees to purchase the things he needed, so Link decided he was good to go.

"You keep your rupees in Epona's saddlebags?" Ilia frowned. "Aren't you afraid someone will steal them?"

Link ignored her comment. "I'm sorry, Ilia, I have to go." He urged Epona into a gallop, and she sprang away from Ordon Village with a whinny.

Ilia called after him, "Wait, Link! Please tell me where you're going!" But of course he didn't stop to explain.

Epona dashed through Faron Woods and into the vast expanse of Hyrule Field, and once again Link was aware that he had no idea where he was going. He bitterly chided himself for being an idiot. _I could have at least followed Ilia's advice and brought food and clothing. Who knows how long I'll be wandering out here, looking for a man whose name I don't even know?_

As if sensing his frustration and distress, Epona slowed to a stop and neighed at him in concern. With a faint smile, Link patted her neck and urged her onward again. She set off at a trot across Hyrule Field, and Link supposed he could try to search for the man at Hyrule Castle Town first. All he knew was that he needed his Shadow Crystal back - he had no idea how the man even knew of its existence. And how did he know Link had it in the first place? What did he want it for?

Link had asked himself all these questions already, and he had an answer for none of them. He had no doubt that the Shadow Crystal's power could be misused, and he did not want the strange man to do something horrible with it. Perhaps it was too late already.

He could imagine Midna frowning at him and telling him that she had trusted him enough to give him the Shadow Crystal as a parting gift, and he was a terrible person for letting it fall into the wrong hands. Of course, he'd never see Midna again, so he didn't have to worry about her giving him a disapproving frown. But that also meant he'd never see her smile or hear her laugh again, and she'd never be able to tease him again. He missed her, and his Shadow Crystal was the only reminder he had of her and the Twilight Realm. It was proof that his adventure to save Hyrule hadn't all been a crazy dream.

As soon as he neared Hyrule Castle Town, the clouds had cleared, and the sun shone down warmly on the land. Link stopped at the gates of Castle Town and dismounted Epona, taking his wallet out of his saddlebag. He paused and held it awkwardly in front of him, wondering where to hide it. He tried to drop it down his tunic; it fell out. With a sigh, he tied it to his hip and hoped he'd be able to prevent anyone from stealing it.

When he stepped into the busy streets of Castle Town, Link realized that it would have been a very good idea to at _least_ bring shoes. The cobblestone roads were quite dirty, and Link kept stepping in puddles or in wads of grime. He grimaced in disgust and paused to look at his feet, wondering what he had been stepping in for the past few yards. He never remembered this place being so filthy.

With a long sigh, Link told himself to ignore the grimy streets and continue on. He knew he was looking for the man who had taken his Shadow Crystal, but it seemed impossible to find anyone in such a crowded place. He watched the waves of people rushing to and fro, but he saw no familiar faces. As his eyes scanned the crowds, he noticed a figure crouching atop a nearby roof. The figure seemed to stare at him for a moment, and then it held up a bow nocked with an arrow. The figure aimed, and then released the arrow. It struck a nearby man in the arm, and he fell with a cry. The people surrounding him gasped and turned to look at their surroundings in panic. Link drew his sword.

The figure emitted a garbled cry - a cry that was horribly familiar. At this cry, dozens of figures emerged from between buildings and atop roofs, all of them holding bows.

Bulblins. But King Bulblin had taken them far away from Hyrule long ago - why were they back? What were they doing here? Link found himself desperately wishing he had gotten properly dressed. He held his sword in front of him protectively as the bulblins released a volley of arrows, striking dozens of innocent bystanders. Link looked to them in horror, watching as all the unharmed people fled, not even stopping to help the wounded.

Link sliced at the nearest bulblin's bow, forcing the creature to drop it. Then he stabbed it in the heart, and the bulblin fell with a pained cry. Some of its comrades turned to aim their arrows at Link, but he ignored this and rushed toward the next bulblin. It shot an arrow at him, but he ducked out of the way and sliced at it until it fell lifeless to the ground.

Another arrow flew past Link, but it clinked harmlessly against the stone streets beside him. He easily cut down every bulblin in his way, and then he looked up toward the ones on the rooftops. They shot desperately at him, but he ducked behind a wall and avoided their arrows as he paused to look at his surroundings. On the other side of the street, a pile of crates led up toward the roof of a building, and from there, Link could smoothly get from rooftop to rooftop and dispatch the rest of the bulblins. Taking a deep breath, he abandoned his hiding place and sprinted toward the crates.

The moment they spotted him, the bulblins fired mercilessly at him. Nimbly leaping from crate to crate and finally onto the roof, he managed to dodge all their arrows. He sprinted to the edge of the rooftop and jumped onto the next, barely managing to avoid falling down into the streets. He stumbled for a moment on the rooftop and tried to regain his balance, and in that one moment, an arrow pierced his side. He let out an involuntary shout of pain, then he gritted his teeth and tried desperately to remain silent.

Link didn't bother to try and pull the arrow out from his side. It would cost him too much time, and if he didn't pull it out carefully, then the tip would get stuck in the wound. Trying to ignore his pain, he stepped up to the bulblin that stood on the roof, aiming its arrow at him. Before it could even hope to do anything, Link skewered the creature through the chest, then kicked its body off his blade. With an agonized screech, the bulblin fell into the streets below.

There were only four more bulblins to get rid of, all of them perched atop roofs. Link wished he had brought his own bow and quiver of arrows. He should have prepared himself better. He sprinted toward the next rooftop and leaped to it, barely grasping onto the edge before he fell. Another arrow whizzed past him as he clambered onto the top of the roof and hurried to his feet. A bulblin stood in front of him, nocking an arrow to its bow - but before it could fire at him, Link ducked out of the way and sliced at its throat. The creature gave a garbled, wet cry as it fell into a lifeless heap.

And then a terrible pain erupted through his shoulder. Link glanced over to find an arrow embedded there, and he clenched his jaw. All he had to do was get rid of three more bulblins. It couldn't be too difficult. He desperately tried to ignore the pain in his wounds and the little black dots swimming at the edges of his vision. Instead, he leaped to the next rooftop as his side screamed in protest, and then he leaped to the next one, where another bulblin stood.

This bulblin forsook its bow and arrow when it saw Link. Instead, it pulled out a large club and lunged toward him, its weapon poised to attack his wounded side. Link barely managed to stumble out of the way, and he realized just how nauseous he was - he didn't know how much longer he could stand up straight. He frantically slashed at the bulblin, knowing that if he didn't hurry, he might faint before he finished them all off.

Link rushed to the next rooftop, gritting his teeth and completely ignoring the darkness closing in on his vision. When another bulblin aimed its arrow at him, he stumbled out of the way, his head spinning. He tried to step forward, but just then his consciousness was filled with blackness, and he barely felt himself collapse to the ground.

* * *

The bulblin nocked an arrow to its bow and drew the string toward its cheek. Its red eyes glowed with malice as it pointed its weapon toward Link's unconscious body.

"Not yet."

A man stood in the streets below, surrounded by two armor-clad guards. The man was well-dressed and dark-haired, and his height and demeanor made him quite intimidating. He stared up at the bulblin atop the roof with intense gray eyes.

The bulblin lowered its bow and looked down to the man with a bestial stare. It gave a garbled cry of nonsense; the man didn't understand the creature's language, and he pretended that it hadn't said anything at all.

Instead, he told the bulblin, "Don't kill him yet. He might be of use to us."


	3. Chapter Two

**A/N: I don't want to update this story *too* often (I think once or twice a week is good enough, maybe?) since I don't want to stress myself out. ^^; But since you guys are so nice (thanks so much for the reviews!) I'm going to post another chapter for ya. :3 Hope you enjoy - and again, feel free to critique harshly if you need to!**

* * *

It was dark and cold and damp. Link forced his eyes open and looked at his surroundings through half-blurred vision. He was in a dungeon - a very familiar dungeon; probably the one beneath Hyrule Castle.

Then he noticed someone else in the cell with him. The figure stood in the shadow of a corner, and had a feminine build. When she saw that Link was awake, she stepped out into the dim light. Her black hair was a little messy, and she looked exhausted, but she smiled at him nonetheless. "Oh, so you're awake? That's good... I was afraid it was too late for you."

He blinked at her, slowly recognizing her. "Ashei?" What was she doing here?

She gave a slight nod. "You looked terrible when the bulblins tossed you in here. I guess you got caught up in the fight against them too, huh?"

Link furrowed his brow and tried to sit up, but a pain shot through his side. He remembered he'd been wounded - how had he not bled to death? And why were the arrows no longer protruding from his wounds? He pushed himself into a sitting position and glanced over to her. "Why are they here?"

Ashei shrugged. "We all thought the bulblins were gone for good. We hadn't seen any signs of them for a full year. We haven't figured out why they've come back, but... here they are." She made a weak gesture with her hands and scowled. Then she tilted her head a bit. "And we're in this dungeon because of them. They put us here, since they didn't want anyone in their way."

"Why not just kill us?" Link asked bitterly.

"Who knows?" She sighed heavily. "Bulblins don't seem like the ruthless murdering type, though, don't ya think? They seem more prone to tie someone up or trap them rather than kill them. Sometimes, anyway..."

There was nobody else in the cell. "Where are the other members of the resistance?" Or was she alone?

Ashei looked around and folded her arms, then leaned against a wall. "Somewhere caged up, probably - but I hope they aren't. I was kinda wishing they could come free us, you know?" She gave a light shrug of her shoulders. "It would be great to get out of here and show those bulblins what happens when you mess with us. I'm sure we'll get out soon enough and give them what they deserve." She huffed. "How did you get so wounded, anyway? They dragged you in here with your shirt soaked in blood."

Link glanced away, ashamed to even think of his failure to fight the bulblins. _Really... I was so easily defeated by them. How pathetic._ Instead of properly answering her, he asked, "How am I still alive?"

"I wonder the same thing. You looked like you were bleeding to death." Ashei reached into her pocket and pulled out a little vial full of clear water. "But I guess I managed to save you with sacred Lanayru Spring water. I have a bunch of these little vials just in case I need them, but I used all of them on you. This is my only one left. I poured a lot of this water all over your wounds, and it seemed to stop the bleeding. I wouldn't push your luck and move around too much, though." She tucked the vial back into her pocket. "Thankfully the bulblins only took my weapons, but they didn't search my pockets or anything."

At her words, Link realized he didn't have his sword, but he wasn't surprised. Even his wallet full of rupees was gone, which also didn't surprise him. He glanced toward the barred door of the cell and sighed heavily, wondering how to escape. They had to get out of here somehow, with or without help.

Link scanned the ground, looking for the little patch of dirt that he had dug his way through in wolf form when he had first come to the dungeons. He remembered that day, almost a couple years ago, when he had been dragged into the Twilight Realm and tossed into a dank cell. It was the day he'd met Midna, and he had thought she was quite insufferable at first. Still, he had tried his hardest to be somewhat patient with her, and he had ended up caring about her.

"What are you looking for?" Ashei asked, breaking Link out of his memories. He continued scanning the ground, but didn't find the little patch of dirt. Maybe they were in a different cell, even though it looked quite the same as the one he'd been in those years ago.

Link shook his head. They'd have to find a different way to escape.

Ashei turned to the cell door. "We really need to get out of here. If only the key was nearby..." She searched the dank halls beyond the bars of the cell, but there were no keys in sight. "Maybe we could pick the lock?" She turned to Link as if he had something to help out, but he only frowned in reply. He had nothing except the clothes on his back.

When Ashei turned away again with a frustrated sigh, Link noticed a hairpin clipped into her hair. He stood up and gently pulled it out, then handed it to her. She gave him a confused look for a moment before she nodded in understanding. "You want me to pick the lock with this? Well, I doubt it'll work. It's too big." She shrugged apologetically.

Well, Link wasn't about to give up that easily. He gently pushed past her and shoved the hairpin into the lock, where he tried to probe around until he heard the satisfying click of a lock disengaging. But he heard no such sound. He stood there for many minutes, trying and failing to pick the lock, and Ashei flicked her hair over her shoulder. "Link. It's not going to work. We might as well be spending our time trying to find a different way out. Come help me look around the cell, okay?"

Link didn't reply. He was too busy getting frustrated with the fact that he couldn't pick the lock. Ashei sighed and decided to ignore him for the moment, and she instead went over to the other side of the cell and searched it as if there were a secret passageway that would give them freedom.

After another long minute of trying to pick the lock, a satisfying click rang through the damp dungeon hallways. Link smiled at his success and cast a satisfied glance over his shoulder to Ashei. She stepped over to him and gave him a look of approval. "Well, I guess it worked fine. But we aren't free yet. We have to avoid all the guards on the way out and make sure not to get caught again. Hopefully we can find the others and free them too." She grabbed her hairpin from his hands and slid it into her hair again. "I'm sure they got Rusl, Auru, and Shad. Maybe we can even free some other important people along the way. Come on." She pushed open the barred cell door, and it screamed loudly in protest. Both Ashei and Link flinched at the noise.

Ashei stepped out first, and glanced down the hallways. "I don't see anyone," she whispered, then motioned for Link to follow her as she silently crept down one hallway. Link trailed after her, and although he managed to be silent as well, walking made his side wound hurt all over again. He gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the pain.

They passed rows and rows of cells, each one possessing two or three people. Ashei quickly glanced at them, shook her head when she didn't see anyone she recognized, and moved on. Link gave each person in the cell a sympathetic look as he passed them. "Shouldn't we free them?" he asked Ashei in a whisper.

She lightly shook her head. "They wouldn't be of any use to us. I want to get my friends out before we free the others. We can't very well escape this place with a whole huge crowd of people stumbling after us, yeah?"

Link frowned. "So you only care about your friends? These people have lives, too."

Ashei stopped and looked at him, placing her hands on her hips. "Look, Link, I'm not saying we won't ever free them, okay? I'm just saying that it's better to escape with a small group so we won't be spotted. We can come back for all these people later, I promise. We just need to be a little better equipped." She made a frustrated hand motion, then turned and continued down the dungeon hallways.

With a resigned sigh, Link continued after her, peering into the cells and looking for anyone he recognized. Nobody looked familiar. They reached the end of the dungeon hall, and still found none of their friends in the cells. There was a large wooden door at the end of the hall; Ashei stared at it in disappointment. "This is the way out," she said, pointing to it. "We reached the end of the dungeon and still didn't find anyone." She frowned - but then her face lit up with hope. "Maybe they just didn't get caught, yeah?"

Well, it was a possibility. Link glanced toward the door at the end of the dungeon, and he wondered if it was safe to go out. Wouldn't it be better to find some type of weapon before they rushed out? But Ashei didn't seem to have the same idea. She stepped over to the door, cracked it open, and peeked out. Then she turned to Link and tilted her head in confusion. "No guards out there. I haven't even seen any guards in here. Suspicious, huh?"

Yes, it was strange, but if it meant that they wouldn't get caught, Link was perfectly fine with that. He gave a slight shrug and peeked into the room beyond the door. It was a small, confined place, lit with only a few torches, and it had a dark staircase spiraling upward. If they got caught on that staircase, they'd be at an extreme disadvantage. He looked over his shoulder at Ashei. "Shouldn't we find weapons first?"

Ashei sighed. "I'd prefer to have some, but there aren't any around here. The dungeons are devoid of weapons, and it isn't like there's anything beyond that door, except for the staircase. We'll just have to go and hope nothing happens."

It seemed like a terrible strategy, but Link wasn't sure what else to do. He followed her out of the dungeon and up the winding staircase. They crept up the stairs as quietly as possible, desperately hoping not to attract any attention or run into any trouble. As they neared the top of the staircase, Link heard voices. He paused and quickly pressed up against the wall, wondering if someone was going to come down and find them.

"...but you shouldn't just leave her there unguarded. She's deceptively strong - you have to watch her and make sure she doesn't somehow escape or foil our plans." The voice was deep yet smooth, and sounded rather impatient.

Another voice replied, this one softer and more timid. "Sir... We don't have anyone guarding the dungeons, though. Everyone is so busy watching the rest of the castle that we don't have any men to guard our prisoners."

"I don't care. The princess is our most important prisoner; go guard her. I'll find someone to watch the prisoners in the dungeons."

"Yes, sir." Then there was the sound of receding footsteps. Link and Ashei shared a worried glance, and he knew they were thinking the same thing - _Have they taken Zelda prisoner?_

They both waited in the dim light of the torches until they were sure that it was safe to continue onward, then they carefully crept up the stairs until they reached a narrow entryway that led into the halls of Hyrule Castle itself. The moon shone through the windows and painted the empty halls with a pale light. The atmosphere was tense and eerie; although he saw no one, Link still scanned his surroundings as if expecting someone to leap out at him any moment. Ashei motioned for him to follow her, and whispered, "I know a somewhat easy way out, but we have to be silent and quick."

Link nodded in reply, and followed her through the halls of the castle. As they went, they heard footsteps and voices behind them, and Ashei bit her lip. They had to hurry. They crept silently and swiftly through the halls, with the footsteps growing louder.

Link felt like he was forgetting something. But what? When Ashei finally found the exit that led into the castle courtyard, Link paused. He knew he needed something... His Shadow Crystal. Of course! He needed to look for it; what if it was hiding somewhere in the castle? Would he ever get a better chance to look for it?

Ashei hissed quietly, "Come on!" But Link shook his head. She could escape on her own, he was sure. She seemed like a capable individual. He turned away from her - and two armor-clad men were there, looming over him. Link's heart skipped a beat.

The two men drew their swords. "Some of you escaped, it looks like," said one of the men with a huff. "We'll just have to put you back in your place."

Link felt like an idiot. He knew he should have escaped when Ashei told him to, but instead, he had been stubborn.

"Run!" Ashei called, sprinting out into the courtyard. Link turned and rushed after her, despite the fact that it hurt his side. He remembered Ashei telling him not to push himself, but it was too late for that. Hopefully his wound wouldn't reopen. He wanted to stop and rest for just a moment, but he could hear the heavy footfalls of the armored guards behind him. Luckily, their heavy armor slowed them down, but they were still hot on his heels.

"Escaped prisoners!" called one of the men behind him. "Don't let them get away!"

Four guards in the courtyard turned toward Ashei and Link, and they drew their swords. "Halt!" one of them yelled.

"That way!" Ashei panted, pointing to the grand double-doors that led away from the courtyard and into Castle Town. Link swerved in that direction, with Ashei in front of him.

The pain in his side wound was getting worse, but he couldn't stop running. He tried not to slow down, but it was almost impossible not to. He knew the guards were catching up to him, but even his adrenaline couldn't make him run any faster. He barely managed to sprint through the doors and into the streets of Castle Town itself.

Ashei seemed to be heading straight toward the exit of Castle Town, but Link knew he wouldn't be able to make it. He had to hide from the guards pursuing him. With one last glance in Ashei's direction, Link turned down a different street, then swerved down a smaller one. He heard the guards shouting behind him, "Shoot him!"

Only then did Link notice the bulblins standing atop the buildings, watching the streets below. They nocked their arrows, and Link tried desperately to run faster. An arrow clattered to the streets beside him, followed by the cries of the bulblins. Link ducked around another corner as more arrows rained down behind him.

He ran across the roads, bare feet pounding the cold cobblestone. He could hear only the sounds of his heavy breathing - no noisy, armored footsteps behind him; even the bulblins' screams had quieted. Still, he didn't allow himself to slow down, and he rushed down the stone staircase that led to Telma's Bar.

Only when he was inside did he allow himself to stop and rest. Telma's Bar, which had once been a decently lively place, was now completely devoid of life. Not a single torch burned on the walls, forcing the bar to wallow in blackness. A wide beam of pallid moonlight poured in through the open door, providing the only light in the place. Link sank down against a wall, chest heaving, and a horrible burning pain in his side. He inspected his side wound, only to discover that it had begun to bleed again, a small stream of dark blood trickling downward. Gritting his teeth, Link pulled off his shirt and tore it into the semblance of bandages, which he then tied around his wound. He took a deep, shuddering breath and closed his eyes.

A voice rang through the alleyway outside. "He might be in there."

Link's eyes flew open again. He forced himself to his feet, and only then realized just how shaky his legs were. He nearly fell down again, but forced himself to search for someplace to hide. Even though his eyes had adjusted to the dark, it was still difficult to see, and it took him much longer than he would have liked to find a pile of crates near a shadowy corner to duck behind.

The sound of heavy armor clinking together rang through the bar with each step the men took. "It's too dark in here to see anything."

"Keep looking anyway."

Link tried to breathe silently and evenly, and he also forced himself not to move a muscle. If he made any movement at all, then it might somehow catch the guards' eyes, even through the blackness.

The guards stumbled around the bar, and one of them cussed loudly as he tripped over something and fell to the ground. The other guard chuckled quietly. "Eh, let's get out of here. We can search for him elsewhere."

Link waited until their loud footsteps had silenced. He even waited for a very long time afterward, just to make sure that they weren't still there. He crawled out from behind the crates and carefully looked around through the darkness. He couldn't see or hear anything out of the ordinary. With a long, heavy sigh, he stood up and crept outside of Telma's Bar. Now that the immediate excitement was over, Plenty of thoughts were racing through his mind.

_I need to get away from Castle Town as quickly as I can. And I need to find out what in the name of Din is happening here._

* * *

A tall, muscular man with dark eyes stood in her doorway. "Princess Ameia."

The woman was pale, with long black hair framing her face and accenting her hard hazel eyes. She stared at him with a piercing gaze.

The man held out his hand to her. In his palm was an item wrapped in black satin cloth. "I found it."

Princess Ameia narrowed her hazel eyes. Then she raised a brow. "Did you, now? Well. I'll see about that." She took the item from his hand and cautiously unwrapped the dark satin from around it. There, in the center of the cloth, sat a very strange-looking item. Its hard surface was black and riddled with glowing orange markings. A smile flitted across her pink lips. "Oh, so you did find it. I suppose I won't have to gut you with a kitchen knife, then."

The man flinched. "Yes... Thank you, Your Highness."

Princess Ameia wrapped the dark cloth around the strangely beautiful crystal, and then she turned toward a corner of the room, shrouded in shadow. Addressing the corner, she spoke. "Well... The dark power you spoke of really was in Hyrule. I suppose you weren't lying to me."

A pair of piercing red eyes peered at Princess Ameia from the darkness of the corner.

The princess continued. "But if it doesn't amplify my magic like you promised it would, then I will behead you and the rest of your people. Do you understand, King Bulblin?"

A large, bulky green figure stepped out from the corner, and he nodded. In a gravelly, grating voice he replied, "I understand."


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N: Thank you guys again so much for your reviews. :D You motivate me to write, and I hope you keep enjoying this story!**

**I've decided that my updating schedule is going to be Tuesdays and Fridays (U.S. time if it needs to be said), so look for updates on those days. :3 If I ever _can't _update my story on one of those days, I'll warn you guys in advance. Thanks for your continued support with my first fanfic here!**

* * *

The rooftops were crowded with bulblins. Link crept through the cold streets of Castle Town, pressing himself against the walls and sticking to the shadows. None of the bulblins noticed him as he slipped out into Hyrule Field.

The fields were eerily beautiful - the white moonlight poured down onto the grass and trees, bathing everything in a contrast of silver and shadows. Hyrule Field was also strangely empty. Link had thought that, since Hyrule Castle Town had been invaded by bulblins and strange men, then surely the fields would be brimming with enemies. Yet they were completely devoid of life.

Epona stood far away, hiding under a tree near Castle Town's outer wall. She had been faithfully waiting for him, but she looked nervous. Had she seen the bulblins invade Castle Town?

As soon as she saw him, Epona whinnied and quickly pranced over to her master. Link was glad that she was all right, and that she hadn't been stolen. With a small smile, he stroked her nose for a moment, then comfortingly patted her neck. She tossed her head a few times, but then seemed to calm down, and she stood still. Link climbed onto the large mare's back, wincing as the movement caused a flare of pain to go up his side.

He sat in the saddle for a moment, and realized he had no idea where to go. What was he supposed to do? How could he find his Shadow Crystal again? How could he free Castle Town from the reign of the enemy? The strange new guards were obviously in league with the bulblins somehow. But why?

But Link had no answer to any of those questions. He was confused, and his head was beginning to throb. He heaved a long sigh and leaned against Epona's neck; the mare turned her head slightly so that she could look at him in concern. She certainly knew he wasn't all right.

Link smiled faintly. "I'm okay. Let's go." _I could return to Ordon Village and gather up a few things I need. Weapons, salves and bandages, some food... and proper clothes. _He frowned. If he was going to go looking for his Shadow Crystal, and also figure out a way to save Castle Town, he'd need plenty of things to help him along the journey. He lightly kneed Epona, and she burst off into a gallop across the moonlit Hyrule Field.

* * *

Dawn's pale, yellow fingers had reached across the land when Link arrived in Ordon. He pulled Epona to a stop beneath a large tree near Ordon Spring, and then he stepped into the cool, shallow waters of the spring itself.

All the springs across Hyrule that belonged to the Light Spirits had healing properties. Of course, even if he slept in the water for a full day, it still wouldn't fully heal his wounds. Hopefully, though, it would at least speed up the healing process a little bit. He unwound the makeshift bandages from around his torso, and then collapsed on his back into the waters of the spring. He released a long sigh of contentment and closed his eyes - the water felt so wonderful against his wounds. He allowed himself to lie there for a while before he decided that it was time to go.

Link stood and walked away from Ordon Spring. He entered his house, quickly gathered up a bit of dried fruit and jerky into a satchel, and then pulled open a chest that sat by one wall. Inside it were his old clothes - his green tunic and hat and sturdy brown boots. Looking at them reminded him of when he'd ventured all across Hyrule with Midna, and he sighed wistfully. He bandaged up his side and shoulder, then quickly pulled on the green tunic, hat, and leather boots. With that finished, he searched his house for a sword - until he remembered that he only had one, and that it had been taken from him when he'd been tossed in the dungeons.

"Hmmph." Link stared in irritation at his surroundings. Where else was he supposed to get a sword? Rusl might have one - but Link was certain that Rusl had left Ordon Village a week ago to attend to "business" in Castle Town, and he hadn't come back since. Link could only hope the man was all right and that he'd managed to evade capture.

Mayor Bo might have a sword. Link really didn't want to associate with anyone unless it was absolutely necessary, but he supposed this was considered necessary. As he headed out of his house, he strapped his quiver full of arrows to his back, and then slung his bow over his shoulder.

As soon as he was outside, Fado the goat-herder rushed forward to meet him. He grinned. "Hey, Link, mornin'! Ready to herd th' goats?" He took notice of the bow and quiver of arrows across his shoulder, and he frowned. "I said _herd _the goats, not shoot 'em. Why do ya have those arrows?"

"I don't have time to herd goats today, Fado," Link replied abruptly, then pushed past him. "You'll have to do it on your own." He immediately realized that he was being a bit sharp with the other man, and he felt guilty - but he was in a hurry. He didn't have time for trivial chores.

Fado grimaced and followed after him. "C'mon, Link, what's wrong with ya today? Did you have a bad sleep last night or somethin'?"

"No." Link cast a glance over his shoulder to the other man and sighed heavily. "I just have more important matters to attend to." He stepped up toward the door of the Mayor's house and tried to smile at Fado. "Sorry... maybe I'll help later." _If I'm still alive._

Fado shrugged and turned away. "Well... fine. You just have fun with whatever it is you're doin', Link."

Once he was gone, Link released a long sigh and knocked on Mayor Bo's door. He answered a moment later and smiled. "Good morning, lad. Shouldn't you be helping Fado herd the goats? Heaven knows he can't do it himself..." He took notice of the bow and arrows on Link's back, and his smile instantly vanished. "What are you planning to do? Target practice?"

"I need a sword."

Apparently Link's no-nonsense expression convinced Bo not to ask any further questions. He shook his head and stepped inside, then returned a moment later holding a sword that was longer and fatter than Link liked. The Mayor shoved it into his hands, and Link decided it was slightly heavier than he was used to, and he wasn't sure if he liked that. Still, he didn't want to refuse Bo's kindness, so he accepted the sword and strapped it on his back beside his quiver of arrows and his bow. Now he felt a little overburdened.

Mayor Bo furrowed his brow. "So... what are you up to, anyway?"

"I have to kill a few bulblins," he replied quickly, then spun on his heel to leave before the Mayor could ask any more questions.

"Bulblins! What do ya mean, bulblins? I thought they'd left us alone a year ago!" Bo shouted after him, worry evident in his tone.

Link didn't stop walking. He continued onward with his mouth set into a grim line. He knew he didn't have much of a plan - or any plan at all - but he had to do something. He couldn't just stand by as Castle Town - and possibly the rest of Hyrule - was plunged into chaos again. He returned to Ordon Spring, squaring his shoulders.

His trusty steed stood exactly where he had left her. Link stood by Epona's side for a long while, lightly stroking her neck with a blank expression on his face. He fully intended to return to Castle Town, but once he was there, what was he supposed to do? He could free all the prisoners, but what then? The streets were filled with bulblins and the castle was full of strange guards with foreign-looking armor. Once the people were free, they'd just have to spend their lives hiding in fear anyway. What was the point? What was he supposed to do? How could he help?

He supposed that he could return to Castle Town and search for Ashei and the others. Maybe they could group together and figure out what to do. It was really the only hope he had. And if he couldn't find them, then he'd try to come up with some other plan. With a long sigh, he climbed into Epona's saddle and urged her into a trot.

* * *

Kneeling at the edge of the beautifully clear water, Ashei gazed down into its depths. She produced five empty glass vials from her pockets, and filled each one of them with the sacred water. Then she corked the vials and stuffed them back into her pockets.

"Thank you, Spirit Lanayru," she said quietly. She had never seen the Light Spirit that had been rumored to inhabit this spring, and she wasn't sure if she believed in it at all - but if such a creature _really_ existed, then she didn't want to anger it by taking its scared spring water without so much as a thanks.

Ashei had hoped to have Link with her, just in case she needed his help to fight against the enemies who had overtaken Castle Town. When they'd both been escaping from the castle's dungeons only the night prior, Ashei had sprinted out into Hyrule Field and then glanced behind her. But Link had been nowhere in sight, and even though she had wanted to, she knew she couldn't have gone back to look for him. If she had, the guards would have caught up to her.

With a heavy sigh, she stood and walked away from the pool of deep, clear water. As she stood in the entryway to Lanayru Spring, she heard a loud splash behind her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she whirled to face whatever threat might have been waiting for her in the spring.

A gigantic, glowing snake-like figure slithered gracefully through the pool of water before it spiraled into the air. It craned its neck downward to peer at Ashei with its gleaming reptilian face. It held a ball of pure light in its jaws. Ashei could only stare at the bright creature in shock, not fully comprehending what she was seeing.

"I am Lanayru, one of the Light Spirits that guards this land at the behest of the Gods." The creature's mouth didn't move as it spoke - its words simply seemed to emanate from the air around it.

Ashei was frozen in place. She had no idea how to react. Was she dreaming? Perhaps the creature was angry at her for filling her vials with its spring water! She tried not to panic. "So... you're the owner of this spring, then?" Ashei asked quietly. "Are you mad at me for taking your water...?" Her heart skipped a beat again. She had finally met the fabled Spirit of the Spring - and it was probably angry with her! What was she to do?

But Lanayru responded with patience instead of rage, and it seemed to ignore her question altogether. "A great calamity threatens to overshadow this land. If it is not quickly destroyed, then all hope shall perish."

Ashei blinked. The Sprit didn't want to kill her for taking its water? And what did it mean, 'a great calamity'? "Well, what do you want me to do about it?" she asked hesitantly.

"Speak to the Great Fairy. She is an emissary of the Gods, and she wields strong magic. I know that she is the only one who can aid you in your quest to vanquish evil."

Ashei frowned and titled her head. "Why can't you help, huh?" Wasn't this Light Spirit supposed to be extremely powerful or something?

Lanayru paused. "I regret to admit that I do not possess sufficient power to banish this darkness. The black magic threatening this land is too dark for my light. The Great Fairy is perhaps the only individual who you can turn to."

This was all too much. The reality of the situation was beginning to settle on Ashei's shoulders like a horrible weight. The Light Spirit Lanayru was real - and it was speaking to her, telling her to find the Great Fairy in order to vanquish a terrible evil! Was she really qualified to do something like that? "Where is the Great Fairy? I kind of need to know where she is if I'm going to speak to her, yeah?"

"She resides deep in the heart of Snowpeak," Lanayru replied. "There she hides from any being who would wish harm upon her. You cannot hope to fight this darkness without her aid; do not attempt to do so. You must seek her out before you irrationally charge into battle against the forces that now hold Hyrule Castle captive."

Ashei nodded slowly. She had studied Snowpeak before, so she hoped that she knew her way around it decently enough to find the Great Fairy. Deep in the heart of the mountain itself, though? That sounded like quite the adventure... She decided she was up to it. Her life had been mostly devoid of excitement lately, anyway. "Well... Then. I'll just go. Thanks." She waved to the Spirit Lanayru, but apparently it wasn't finished speaking yet.

"Before you set off in search of the Great Fairy, you must reunite with the man known to you as Link. Neither of you could possibly hope to find the Great Fairy on your own."

Ashei frowned and put her hands on her hips. "I don't even know where he is! Why are you asking me to do all this? Am I really so qualified for it?"

"You are not the only one who is to play a great part in this journey. Go forth, and you shall find him." The Light Spirit paused for a moment, and then its serpentine eyes widened. It was the only expression Ashei had seen on its face so far. It hurriedly spoke, "Go! Now!" And then it was gone.

Heavy, armored footsteps echoed through the Light Spirit's Spring behind Ashei. At that moment, she understood Lanayru's panicked expression, and she whirled to face whatever would oppose her. Two guards were running directly toward her. "There she is!" one shouted. They must have followed her all the way from Hyrule Castle! Ashei reached for the sword at her hip - only to remember that her weapon had been taken away from her. Biting her lip, she watched as the men advanced on her.

In an act of desperation, she dove down into the deep water of the spring. She knew that the men wouldn't be able to follow her, since they were so burdened with their armor. If they tried to dive in after her, they'd only drown themselves. Holding her breath, she cut through the water and went as deep as she dared to go. Then she pressed herself against the rocky walls of the spring and looked upward.

Through the clear water, she could see the guards scanning the spring for any sign of her. She stayed pressed up against the wall for a moment longer, hiding from them there, until she decided that her lungs would give out if she stayed beneath the water a moment longer.

Ashei swam toward the surface as silently as she could. She mentally prayed that the guards wouldn't notice her as she swam directly up toward them. They didn't seem to see her. As soon as she was close enough to them, she shot her hand up through the water and grabbed the closest guard's foot, then she tugged as hard as she could. Since he hadn't been expecting it, he was caught off his guard, and he shouted in surprise as she mercilessly pulled him beneath the water.

As she had expected, he sank like a stone, despite his best efforts to swim upward. She quickly let go of his foot so he wouldn't drag her down with him, and then with her lungs burning in protest, she desperately kicked upward for a breath of air.

Her head broke the surface of the water, a fair distance away from the other guard who was still stuck on the shore. Ashei greedily gulped the air around her for a moment before she dove back beneath the water. She swam down toward the guard, who was now at the bottom of the clear pool, still kicking and trying to swim upward. His motions became more labored as she swam toward him, and it was obvious that he was slowly drowning.

As soon as she reached the dying guard's side, she quickly pulled the sword off his hip. The guard tried to kick at her, but his movement was far too weak, and eventually he gave up on trying to move at all. Clutching the drowned guard's sword, Ashei tried to kick toward the surface, but the weapon's extra weight made her movements frustratingly slow. She was still a few feet away from the surface when her lungs began to burn in a desperate plea for air. Still stubbornly holding her breath, Ashei clung to the sword and pushed toward the surface. She knew she needed a weapon to defeat the other guard that still remained on the shore - after all, she couldn't fight him with her bare fists. And she couldn't pull him down into the water like she'd done with the other guard, because he would expect that. She had to have a sword.

Blackness was beginning to swim in her vision as the surface came tantalizingly closer. Even though her entire body screamed for her to take a breath, she refused. Only two feet away now. And then a foot. And then -

Ashei gasped for air only a few inches from the surface. She couldn't help it. Water poured into her mouth, and the blackness crept closer into her vision. She forced herself to make one final kick toward the surface - and finally, she broke free, coughing and spluttering and gasping for air.

As the darkness in her vision slowly receded, she gripped the sheathed sword tightly in her hand and clumsily paddled toward the shore, opposite from the guard, still coughing up water from her lungs. As soon as he noticed that she was climbing out of the water, the guard rushed around the spring, sword in hand, to meet her.

Ashei quickly drew her new sword and turned to face the oncoming threat. The moment he reached her, she slashed out toward him with her blade, but he parried and thrusted at her. She dodged out of the way, then feinted toward his left. The very second he brought his sword around to meet hers, she changed the direction of her attack to slice at his right side instead. He barely managed to lift up his sword in time to block her attack - and she used his moment of confusion to her advantage. She kicked at his armored shin, forcing him to stumble backward by just a single step. Yet by taking that single step, he completely dropped his guard, and Ashei sliced her sword at his unarmored throat.

The guard gave a damp scream of pain, but it was quickly cut short by a horrible wet choking noise. Then he fell to the ground in a clumsy heap, blood leaking through his helmet.

Ashei grimaced in disgust. She hated to take a life, but it wasn't like she hadn't done it before. And she knew she'd probably have to take many more lives in the future if she intended to save Hyrule. She tried to brace herself against the thought, but it still filled her with dread. She wiped the blood off her sword in the grass surrounding Lanayru's Spring, and then she set off to find Link.


	5. Chapter Four

**A/N: Thanks again for more reviews. You guys are awesome. :D**

**Lioner15: Yeah, the Great Fairy _does _live in the desert... but I thought maybe she moved or something. Maybe she wanted a change of scenery? :P /shrugs**

* * *

With a sword strapped to her hip, Ashei felt much better, although she still wasn't sure where to find Link. Where had he gone off to after they'd been separated? Plenty of other questions swirled through her mind. Why had the Light Spirit spoken to _her, _of all people? Was she really that important? And why was she supposed to find a Great Fairy and ask for help?

As she trekked slowly across Hyrule Field, she thought she could hear hoofbeats, growing louder with each passing second. Was it an enemy? She jerked her head in the direction of the noise, her heart thumping as she prepared to draw her sword. If her enemy was on horseback, she would be at a severe disadvantage. It might be a better idea to run and hide.

But then she saw a beautiful brown horse galloping in her general direction, with a very familiar man on its back. Well, it had been much easier to find Link than she had thought it would be. She called out, "Link!" even though she knew he probably wouldn't hear her over the sound of his horse's hoofbeats.

Apparently, though, he heard her, since he turned his gaze toward her. He galloped up beside her and then pulled his horse to a stop. The horse - a beautiful mare with white markings - stared warily at Ashei.

"There you are," Ashei huffed. Suddenly, she felt quite upset at Link, and she narrowed her eyes at him, placing her hands on her hips. "Just when we were about to escape Hyrule Castle, you suddenly decided you wanted to stay or something, because you turned right back around and got the guards to notice us. Why'd you do that, huh?"

Link visibly flinched back at the anger in her tone. He frowned sheepishly. "I thought that I could find... something important in the castle."

Something important? "What would be so important that you needed to risk our safety for it?" Ashei huffed. "And because you got us caught, then we got separated, and I had no idea where you'd gone off to. People need to stick together in a time like this, yeah? We can't just run around alone."

Link sighed. "I'm sorry." He didn't look like he wanted to talk about it any further, so Ashei decided to be nice and drop the subject.

She needed to tell him about what the Light Spirit Lanayru had said, but... she was afraid he'd think her insane if she spoke to him about it. What if it had just been a strange dream? She bit her lip for a moment, and Link watched her as if waiting for her to speak. "So... I went down to Lanayru Spring to refill my vials with healing water. In case I need it or something, you know?"

He only nodded in reply.

Ashei continued quickly, "And then the Spirit of the Spring appeared and spoke to me. It looked kind of like a weird glowing snake, but that's not the point. It told me to find you and tell you that we have to go to Snowpeak and find a Great Fairy or some such." The words tumbled over each other in her haste to get them out of her mouth, and she wondered if Link had understood anything she said.

He paused for a long while, while Ashei grew increasingly nervous. He shifted his weight in the saddle, and frowned thoughtfully. "So... Lanayru spoke to you?"

"That's what I just said, isn't it?"

Link didn't look like he doubted her, which surprised Ashei. She had thought he'd call her insane for claiming to see the fabled Spirit of the Spring. He paused again for a moment. "And Lanayru wants you to find a Great Fairy in Snowpeak...?"

"And it said you have to come with me. Since I'm not really sure what else to do, why not follow its advice?" She made a vague hand motion. "I don't know where to find the other members of the resistance, after all... and I can't just rush in and take back Hyrule Castle all on my own. Why not just go and see what this Great Fairy has to offer, yeah?"

Link stared off into the distance with a thoughtful expression. "But if the Great Fairy can't help us, then we'll be wasting a lot of time by taking a needless detour."

"She's a freaking Great Fairy, Link, I'm pretty sure she'll have something for our efforts." Ashei frowned. "Haven't you ever read about them in the legends? They're supposed to be really powerful. And after I just saw the Light Spirit Lanayru, I'm pretty convinced that some other creatures in the old legends are real..."

"Hmm." Still looking off into the distance, Link gave a slow nod. "All right... let's go." He held out a hand to Ashei, and she stared at in confusion for a moment before she realized he was going to help her up onto his large mare's back. She accepted his hand and climbed up into the saddle behind him. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She really had no idea what she was doing - following a Light Spirit's advice and rushing blindly into Snowpeak? But what other choice did she have? The Light Spirits were supposed to be messengers of the Gods themselves, and if Lanayru had spoken to her, then that meant it wasn't asking her to do _its_ will, but the will of the very _Gods_. How was she supposed to deny that?

Link kneed his horse, and with a loud whinny, she burst off into a gallop.

* * *

Snowpeak was freezing cold - and it didn't help that Link and Ashei were almost dripping wet. In order to get to the mountain, they had had to climb a wet, slippery trail up Zora's River and into Zora's Domain itself, with the raging water of the river splashing onto them the entire way up.

Ashei wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered. "You know, it's way too cold out here. We should wait in Zora's Domain until we dry off. We could even start a campfire, yeah?"

Link didn't turn down her offer. He nodded in agreement. A nice, warm fire sounded wonderful, and he quickly returned to Zora's Domain with Ashei in tow. Link looked for some kind of firewood, but it was extremely hard to find, since there were no trees in sight. All the random sticks he found were damp and useless. With a long sigh, he gave up and sat beside the churning pool in Zora's Domain, wrapping his arms around himself and trying to get warm. Ashei sat beside him, curling up into a ball and shivering.

After a while of sitting and shivering, a spot of sunlight warmed them up. It was so comfortable that Link was reluctant to go, but Ashei stood up and stretched. "Let's go, then. The sooner we get it over with, the better, don't you think?"

With a heavy sigh, Link got to his feet and turned toward the entrance of Snowpeak. As they turned to venture to the mountain, a few Zoras looked in their direction, but didn't question them. The Zoras knew Link as the one who had helped to save their Prince Ralis, so they had said he was welcome in their domain any time.

Link followed Ashei up the trail that led toward Snowpeak itself, and Ashei lamented that she was so ill-prepared. "It would have been nice to bring coats," she huffed, "but at least I'm wearing decently warm clothes. I still think it would have been better to stop off and find some coats to wear, though."

But neither of them really had any belongings anymore. They couldn't just purchase coats - after all, they didn't have any rupees. And Link didn't have any coats to his name, since Ordon never got very cold. They would just have to make do with what they had.

They climbed through the icy cold cave that tunneled through the side of Zora's Domain and into the mountain. At the end of the tiny cave was a small opening that led to the trail up the mountain itself. Piercing cold winds howled through the cave and bit into Link and Ashei's skin, forcing then to wrap their arms around themselves and shudder. Bracing themselves for the cold, they stepped out into the wilderness of Snowpeak.

* * *

The large double doors slowly creaked open. A feminine figure stood silhouetted in the doorway, and a flash of lightning illuminated her cruelly grinning face. Her hazel eyes were filled with a cold triumph.

Zelda wearily raised her head. Her brown hair fell in front of her face like a curtain, but she couldn't push it away. She was chained to her bedpost; it was quite an ironic situation. Usually her bedchamber was the most comfortable room in the castle, but now it was a horrible prison.

Princess Ameia swept into the room, Her guards following behind her much like her long, trailing gown. "It's much too dark in here," she complained. "Bring in a torch. I like to see my prisoners when I speak to them."

Her two guards vanished for a moment, then returned with torches in their hands. The light illuminated Princess Zelda's exhausted, gaunt form as she slumped against her bedpost and flinched away from the sudden onslaught of light.

Ameia's lip curled. "Never mind, maybe I _don't _want to see my prisoner."

Apparently the guards took this as a cue to get rid of the torches, since they began to leave the room. Ameia snapped her fingers irritably. "Get back in here. Just because poor Princess Zelda is a hideous sight right now doesn't mean that I want to stumble around in the dark when I speak with her." She turned to face Zelda, and a cold smile tilted her lips upward. "Now... Tell me what you know about _this."_ From the folds of her velvet gown, Ameia produced an item wrapped in black satin. She unfolded the cloth to reveal a black crystal with glowing orange markings.

Zelda almost instantly recognized it. She had seen Midna give that to Link just before she had shattered the Mirror of Twilight. It was the Shadow Crystal. How had Princess Ameia gotten her awful hands on it? Did that mean Link was in danger? Zelda tried to keep her face expressionless; maybe Ameia would take it as a sign that she didn't know anything about it.

Ameia waved the Shadow Crystal in circles before Zelda's face. She kept her expression impassive and said nothing. "Hmmph," Princess Ameia grunted, "you're being stubborn. I'm quite positive that you know something about this, don't you? Come now... don't make me torture you for the information, because I will. Personally."

But Zelda still said nothing. She knew that it turned Link into his wolf form, but what if telling that to Ameia caused some kind of terrible harm to befall Link?

Ameia grimaced. "Speak to me, princess," she seethed, her usually snarky tone very quickly shifting to a venomous one. "If you won't tell me what you know, then at least tell me this - will I die if I touch this crystal?"

Zelda didn't know. Since Link had the power of the Triforce, stepping into the Twilight Realm had only turned him into a wolf instead of killing him. The Shadow Crystal was almost like the power of Twilight condensed into the form of an item - therefore, anyone without a piece of the Triforce might die if they attempted to touch it. But she wasn't sure. If she told Princess Ameia that touching it wouldn't be harmful, then the other princess might touch it and die. It was tiny, but it was the only hope Zelda had. "You will not be harmed if you touch it," Zelda rasped. She almost reeled away at the sound of her own voice - her captors had neglected to give her water or food, and she hadn't spoken in a few days. She sounded awful. Still, she tried to keep her dignity as she straightened her posture as best as she could while being chained to a bedpost.

"Hmm." Ameia smiled gleefully and cocked an eyebrow. She spun on her heel to face her guards, her black hair flying behind her at the sudden movement. "Get over here, now."

Both the guards exchanged glances, and neither of them moved.

Ameia rolled her eyes. "You, the one on the right. Get over here." She pointed to him, and he flinched visibly, but obviously didn't dare to disobey her will. Stepping carefully and nervously, he advanced toward her. "Good. Now, remove your gauntlet." He obeyed, and Ameia smirked. "And... touch this crystal."

The man paused again, and another streak of lightning flashed outside the window. "Your Highness -"

"You're going to talk back to me?" Ameia rolled her eyes. "What is this, a rebellion? Touch the crystal."

Still the man hesitated. He cleared his throat nervously, then reached out with a trembling hand and touched the Shadow Crystal.

Instantly, his entire body turned black, as if he were a living shadow - and then he evaporated into nothingness. Zelda's eyes widened in horror. Princess Ameia was supposed to touch it, not her guard! Zelda closed her eyes and bowed her head, inwardly mourning for the poor guard that had probably been dragged into all of this against his will.

"What an interesting thing I've learned here today," Ameia said happily. Her tone was filled with unrestrained glee. It disgusted Zelda. "So, Princess of Hyrule, it appears that you've lied to me. Tsk, tsk. I was really hoping that I could learn to trust you, but it appears that won't be happening any time soon. If at all." Zelda lifted her eyes, only to see Ameia grinning down at the Shadow Crystal. "It has a very strong enchantment... but I can work my way around that. Ah, I can't wait to harvest its power!"

Zelda narrowed her eyes and stared bitterly at Princess Ameia. "You will pay for your betrayal."

Ameia raised a brow at her. "But you're the one who invited me to Hyrule in the first place. If anyone should pay for their insolence, it's you." She gave a cold, cruel smile, and then she glided out of the room. The one remaining guard followed her outside, carrying the torch with him and plunging the bedchamber into darkness again.

Zelda bowed her head and allowed herself to cry in the darkness where nobody would see her tears or hear her racking sobs.


	6. Chapter Five

**A/N: Here we go - another chapter for you awesome people :3 I do have a question though. Do you guys think these chapters are too long? Too short? What do you think? o3o**

* * *

With every step she took, Ashei sank shin-deep into the snow. Since Link was shorter than her, the snow rose slightly above his knees with each step forward. He clenched his jaw, and Ashei could tell that he was trying very not to complain. She wasn't even quite sure where they were going - where was the heart of Snowpeak?

She gazed up toward the peak of the white mountain and frowned thoughtfully. "The heart is probably in there somewhere, wouldn't you think?" she asked, pointing to it. "It's the center part of the mountain, and the tallest part, and... well, it just makes sense."

Link glanced up toward the peak, and his expression fell. He looked so utterly crushed that Ashei chuckled - she couldn't help it. He seemed to ignore her snickering. "All the way up there...?"

She nodded. "Let's try it. There should be some kind of trail leading up the mountain, since the one we're on right now seems to lead right up there."

Link stared down at his feet - or rather, where they would have been if they weren't buried in snow. "We're on a trail right now? I never would have guessed," he said sarcastically.

Ashei didn't think she'd ever heard him be sarcastic before. Apparently he hated cold climates. Oh well - he'd just have to deal with it. Keeping her arms wrapped tightly around herself, she trudged up through the cold snow and toward the mountain peak. She kept her eyes on it at all times, focusing intently on her goal. She was so focused on it, in fact, that she tripped and fell face-forward into the freezing powder beneath her.

Reeling back from the snow in a shock of cold, Ashei gasped and tried desperately to brush the snow off her front. Link glanced over to her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Just fine," she replied in a tone sharper than she had intended. She pushed forward stubbornly, deciding she didn't like the cold either. She had grown up on a mountain, and as such, she was used to ice and snow - but never this much. Snowpeak was the coldest place she had ever been to. She realized with a jolt of fear that their woefully inadequate clothing might not protect them from frostbite. She bit her lip and shivered - she could practically feel her lips turning blue already. "Link, we have to start a fire somehow. We need to stop and rest soon." She looked toward the sky and frowned. It was nearly sunset. "Come on, hurry."

She pushed upward through the snow with Link following closely behind her. They trudged onward until their teeth were both audibly chattering from the cold. After night fell, the biting air around them grew even icier. Finally, they found a lone pine tree growing up near the side of the mountain, its branches burdened with snow. Without hesitation, both Link and Ashei rushed toward the tree and snapped off as many branches as they possibly could, and placed them together in a campfire formation. Ashei took two of the driest sticks she could find and rubbed them together until a tiny spark of flame leaped down onto the pile of wood below.

With the promise of warmth taunting her, she rubbed the sticks together more frantically, until a few more sparks jumped onto the pile of pine branches. A tiny line of flame licked at the wood surrounding it, and Ashei gently blew on it until it grew and began to consume the branches.

As the fire leaped and grew, it began to melt the snow around it. Both Ashei and Link placed their hands in front of the flames and released a sigh of relief. "Mmm... it's so warm," Ashei mumbled, leaning as close to the flames as she dared without starting her clothes on fire. She looked across the fire to Link. "You can take the first watch... I'm going to sleep." And without even waiting for his reply, she closed her eyes and fell asleep, still sitting up and huddled into a ball.

* * *

Ashei woke to a wonderfully blazing fire. She huddled closer to its warmth and released a sigh of contentment. And then she realized it was morning. She glanced across the fire to Link, who was staring into the leaping flames with a faraway look on his face. She frowned. "Why didn't you wake me up for my watch? You need your sleep too."

Link's blank expression vanished, and he looked up at her. He didn't even seem tired at all. "I'm fine."

She tilted her head. "Did you fall asleep or something?"

"No." Link looked at the fire. "I stayed awake to tend to the fire all night."

Ashei still stared at him for a moment. "You're a strange guy, you know that? You should have just woken me up and gotten some rest." She shook her head. "Come on, let's put the fire out and go. If we hurry, then we can get off this mountain that much faster, yeah?"

Link sighed and stood up, then kicked snow into the fire until it dwindled to a fat plume of smoke. Ashei dreaded the cold, and from the way Link wrapped his arms around himself and scowled, she knew he did too. "We can probably make it into the heart today if we hurry."

Link only nodded in reply, and then set off along the trail again. They trudged upward through the snow, and the terrible cold bit at them just like it had the day before. Thankfully, Ashei didn't trip like she had the day before, and they were able to continue up the trail without any interruptions.

When the position of the sun suggested that it was noon, Link pulled out a satchel from the pouch that hung at his hip. He produced a few bits of jerky and some dried fruit, then handed them to Ashei. She thanked him for the food and quickly devoured it. "I don't have much, though," Link said with a sigh, "so we'll have to conserve it."

"I have a little bit of food if we need it," Ashei said in reply, "but I didn't want to eat it right away since I felt like I didn't really need it badly enough." She kept pushing forward through the snow, and then she stopped. "What's that?" She pointed to a small hole in the side of the mountain. "It looks like a tiny cave entrance."

Link breathed a sigh of relief. "Then let's go. It might lead into the heart of the mountain." He pressed toward it, walking a little faster than he had been before. Ashei shrugged and followed along behind him. He ducked down into the little hole with Ashei in tow, and she inhaled deeply.

"It's warmer in here than it is out there!" she exclaimed happily. The cave entrance was tiny and cramped, but she was grateful for the slight warmth.

Even though Link was short, he still had to bend down to avoid hitting his head on the rocky ceiling. Ashei had to bend down further, but she wasn't complaining - there was no snow in here.

They continued forward until the tiny tunnel-like cave entrance widened out into a cavern. A shallow, glowing pool sat in the middle of the room, and little curls of steam drifted out from it and filled the room. It was so warm that Ashei wanted to take off a couple layers of her clothing, but she decided not to. "Is this the right place?" she wondered aloud. "It seems a little... underwhelming." She tilted her head. "But the warmth is nice."

Link took a step forward and knelt down beside the pool. It gave off a comfortable blue glow, filling the cavern with soft light. He reached forward and gently touched the water with the tip of his finger.

And the moment he'd done so, a column of blue light shot up from the middle of the pool. Both Ashei and Link shielded their eyes until the intense light faded. In its place stood a woman who could only be the Great Fairy herself. She had a kind expression on her face, a great set of beautiful translucent wings sprouting from her back, and long sea-foam colored hair that cascaded down her back and chest.

She looked between the two of them with warm green eyes. "You are not foes."

Ashei shook her head. "Um... no, we're here to ask for your help..." She could not believe that she had seen a Light Spirit and now a Great Fairy. What other old legends were true?

The Great Fairy nodded. "Yes, I can give it to you. But first, I do want you to prove that you are truly here at the command of the Gods. Show me their mark."

Their mark? Ashei panicked. She didn't have any such thing as a mark of the Gods! Would the Great Fairy kill her since she didn't have one? Why had the Light Spirit sent Ashei here if it only meant her doom?

Then she noticed Link pull the fingerless glove off his left hand. At first she didn't know what he was doing, but when the Great Fairy stepped closer to him and inspected the back of his hand, it began to glow. It was then that Ashei noticed the mark of the Triforce there, and she gasped. How had she never noticed it before? She stared in amazement at the back of his hand for a moment longer. The Great Fairy smiled and took his hand in her own. "Yes... I can help you." Both their hands glowed for a moment, and then the Great Fairy stepped back. Link turned his hand, and in his palm sat a glowing blue shell. It curved and spiraled in a complicated and beautiful pattern. Its surface was riddled with swirling white markings. Link looked at it for a moment as if in awe of its beauty, and then his expression changed to a confused one.

"So..." Ashei blinked up at the Great Fairy. "What do we do with it?"

The Fairy smiled - she almost looked sheepish. "I'm afraid that I do not know."

Ashei raised her brow. Then she made a hopeless hand motion. "You're telling me we came all the way here for a little shell that you don't even know what to do with?"

"I created the shell with my own powers and the powers of the Triforce. It is a very powerful item, and you could misuse it terribly if you so wished. However, I have faith that the Chosen Hero of the Goddesses will use it for its intended purpose." She looked at Link, and he nodded somberly in reply. Chosen Hero? Really - that's who he was? Ashei had known for quite some time that Link was strong and capable, but the Chosen Hero..? Ashei thought about it for a moment - and she decided she actually wasn't _too_ surprised. She had almost suspected him of being the Hero at one point or another. Still, it was a lot to swallow. The Great Fairy continued, "I know what the shell can be used for, but I do not know when it should be used. When the time comes, I know that you will use the shell for its proper purpose. But beware - it can only be used once. Do not use it at the wrong time, or hope will be lost."

Ashei inhaled sharply. That sounded bad - very bad. How were they supposed to know when to use it? Her heart hammered in her chest at the thought of accidentally misusing such strong magic.

Then the Fairy frowned. She waved to her pool of water. "Look."

Both Ashei and Link peered inside the clear water of the pool. Suddenly, a vision of a rabid dark wolf with bestial blue eyes appeared in the water. The terrible beast tore apart a woman with dark hair and cold, hazel eyes - Princess Ameia. Ashei recognized her as the woman who had come into Hyrule to make a treaty with Princess Zelda. Then the beast turned and ripped Ashei to shreds. She grimaced at the image - what was it supposed to mean?

She was more confused than afraid, but Link's eyes were wide. His terrified gaze flicked to the Fairy's, then down at the pool of water again.

The Great Fairy's expression darkened. "Do not touch the Shadow Crystal. It is corrupted." Her tone dripped with menace. And with those cryptic words, she faded into nothingness.

Ashei stared at Link with a question written all over her features. "What's a Shadow Crystal? And why do you look so terrified about it?" _And why didn't I ever know that you were apparently the Chosen Hero? Why does this journey keep getting weirder every second? What have I gotten myself wrapped up in?_

Link looked to her, and only then did she realize he was shaking. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself, and released it in a heavy sigh. "It's nothing. Let's go." His voice was strained, and he turned on his heel away from her.

"Was it a vision of the future?"

Link paused. "Sort of." Then he quickly headed away from the cavern, as if he couldn't stand to be there a second longer. Still utterly confused, Ashei followed after him.

"Well, if it was a vision of the future, then why couldn't the Great Fairy show us what to do with the shell? If she can see the future, then she should be able to tell us that, yeah?" She made a frustrated hand motion.

"Maybe it isn't our place to know yet," Link replied sharply. He refused to look at her as he exited the cave and came out into the frozen, icy mountain outside.

Ashei emerged from the cave behind him and frowned, narrowing her eyes. "Why are you so scared?"

Link's shoulders sagged. He sighed heavily and tucked the glowing blue shell into his pouch. "I'm sorry. It's nothing."

"Nothing?" Ashei grunted. "You're really frustrating, you know that?"

He actually smiled. "You're not the first to say that." Then, without another word, he wrapped his arms around himself and pressed forward through the deep snow. Ashei rolled her eyes and decided to leave him alone for the time being - but only for a little while. She fully intended to pester him with plenty of questions later. She felt that this odd "Shadow Crystal" the Great Fairy mentioned had some kind of importance, and she wanted to know just _how _important it was.

They trudged along through the snow until the path dropped off at a steep cliff to the side of them. Ashei peered down the edge and frowned. It was a long way down - if they fell, they might not die, but it would be a dangerous fall anyway. She didn't remember coming this way on the journey up the mountain. After a while of trudging through the snow, she asked, "Are we taking an alternate route?"

Link sighed. "I'm pretty sure this one is faster than the way we came up. And _holy Din, _I want to get off this mountain as fast as possible." He gritted his teeth.

Ashei raised her brows. She'd certainly never heard him curse before. Well, she hated this place probably just as much as he did, and if he wanted to take a shortcut down the mountain, she wouldn't protest. She sighed and followed him along wordlessly.

And then a howl pierced through the cold air, followed by another, and then a third. Link and Ashei froze in their steps - and in that moment, five white wolfos leaped up from the snow before them. They paused to snarl, and in that moment, Ashei drew her sword, and Link drew his bow. As quickly as could, he nocked an arrow to it and aimed at the nearest wolfos. Then the creatures charged forward, teeth bared, and leaped at their prey. Link released his arrow, and it pierced a wolfos midair. The creature yelped in pain as it plummeted into the snow below, its strange, light blue blood pouring from the wound.

Ashei slashed at one of the wolfos leaping toward her, and it fell at her feet. The remaining three creatures snarled and took a few steps back.

"Hurry!" Link called. "Let's go back to the other path!" He whirled around, only to inhale sharply and stumble backward. He quickly nocked another arrow to his bow and drew the string to his cheek. "They're behind us too."

"Then let's kill them all and get out of here!" Ashei shouted in panic. She held her sword up high and waved it threateningly at the wolfos in front of her. "How many are behind us?" She didn't dare look.

"At least five... No, make that ten."

In front of her, five more white wolfos sprang up from beneath the snow, their teeth bared. "We're outnumbered!" she said in panic. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Link fire his arrow, and she heard the resulting yelp of pain from the wolfos he'd shot.

All the wolfos around them began to bark and howl in a terrible harmony. More popped up from the snow in front of Ashei, and she assumed that more were appearing behind her as well. She bit her lip as they advanced, slowly and menacingly, and then in quick succession, they all leaped. It looked like a terrible wall of ice crashing down toward her, and Ashei frantically swung her sword. Two of the wolfos fell from midair and crashed down into the snow with pained yelps; the rest slammed into her all at once.

It was like being smacked by bricks of ice. Ashei fell to the snow on her back with at least five wolfos crowding atop her, and the air was completely knocked out of her. The wolfos all tried to bite any exposed skin they could find, and Ashei could hardly move or even breathe. She gasped desperately for air, and when it finally entered her lungs, she kicked and flailed with all her might. She finally managed to stumble to her feet, and three wolfos still clung to her, biting her arms or legs. She hacked at them mercilessly with her sword until they fell to the snow with blue blood pouring from their wounds.

Panting heavily, she lifted her panicked gaze to the snowy trail in front of her. A few more wolfos were still standing in her way, snarling and baring their cruel fangs at her. She slashed at one of them, and it fell with hardly any resistance - but then the other three sprinted at her and leaped toward her.

There was no way she could fight all of them at once. Her breath caught in her throat as she wondered what to do. Whatever happened, though, she knew she would go down fighting. So she slashed her sword at them, and two of them fell in midair. The other one yelped as an arrow suddenly thudded into its chest, and it collapsed as well.

Ashei whirled to face Link. He was breathing frantically and unevenly and his arms were riddled with bite marks. He lowered his bow, just as a white wolfos leapt at him from behind. "Link!" Ashei called.

But he reacted too late. He whirled around and tried to draw his sword just as the wolfos crashed into his chest with considerable force. With a yell of surprise and pain, Link plummeted off the edge of the cliff with the wolfos latching its teeth into his chest.

Ashei shrieked. She stumbled to the cliff's edge with shaky legs, and only then did she realize just how much her legs and arms hurt. They were probably covered in bite marks too, but she didn't pause to check. Instead, she peered down the cliff's edge, where the wolfos's motionless body lay atop Link's, skewered with his sword. With wide eyes, Ashei practically fell down the mountain trail in her desperation to get down the cliff. Once she was at the bottom, she hurried over to Link, desperately clambering through the deep snow. She grabbed the cold, heavy body of the wolfos and hauled it off Link's blade and heaved it to the side. Panting heavily, she knelt down beside him. "Link?"

He stared up at her with pained eyes, and then he forced himself to sit up, his chest desperately heaving. Then he coughed, spattering dark red blood onto the snowy ground in front of him. A tiny trail of blood leaked out from the side of his mouth, and he wearily wiped it away. Ashei fumbled through her pockets and produced all five vials of sacred spring water she had. "Take off your tunic."

"In this cold?" he mumbled.

"Hurry! It bit your chest!" Ashei said frantically.

Link snorted. "I think I noticed." With a heavy sigh, he reluctantly pulled his tunics over his head and tightly held onto them.

Ashei stared at the bite wound. It wasn't _too _bad, she supposed... nothing that a little spring water couldn't fix. She uncorked three vials and slowly poured them onto the wound. Link shivered and clenched his jaw to prevent his teeth from chattering. Ashei sighed. The water had stopped the bleeding, but the wound really needed to be properly treated. "You have bandages somewhere, don't you...?"

Link fished through his satchel and produced a roll of bandages. Ashei handed him the remaining two vials of spring water. "Hurry and drink these while I bandage you up." He wordlessly accepted the vials of water and drank them quickly as she tied bandages around his chest. Then she took the empty vials back from him and stuffed them in her pocket. "I'm going to need a lot more of this spring water, yeah?" She stood up. "Hurry and put your tunics back on before you freeze to death. We need to hurry and go."

Link replaced his tunics and stood up on shaky legs. It was obvious that he nearly fell again, but he forced himself to stay standing. Then he took notice of all the bite marks spread across her arms and legs, and an expression of guilt flashed across his features. "You should have kept some of the water for yourself."

"You needed it more, wouldn't you say?" She lightly shrugged. "Come on... let's get away from this terrible place."


	7. Chapter Six

**A/N: Here's another chapter for you guys! ...Um, sorry it's a bit long, I just didn't know where to end it ^^; Oops? Hopefully you guys like it anyway. xD;**

* * *

With excited, trembling fingers, Princess Ameia reached toward the beautiful, dark crystal that sat on the table, still wrapped in black satin.

"Are you sure you should be doing that?" came a smooth, deep voice from the doorway.

Ameia's gaze snapped up toward the intruder. He was tall and a menacing feeling accompanied his presence. His dark hair was neatly combed back, and his hard gray eyes bored into her cold hazel ones.

"Ah, Counselor Divith." Ameia rolled her eyes. "Intruding without warning as usual, I see? Is this your new hobby?" She raised a brow. "Perhaps I haven't given you enough duties, and you've grown bored."

Counselor Divith ignored her. "Your Highness, I know you wish to harvest the dark power in that crystal, but are you sure it's safe?"

Ameia huffed in impatience. "Are you questioning my judgment?"

"No... I'm simply warning you not to make a terrible mistake. Like you made with Denlot."

"Denlot! You're still on about that?" Ameia grunted impatiently. "I've told you a thousand times and I'll tell you again - I trust Lord Denlot, more than you, in fact. He's a man who will always do whatever I say, no matter what it is. I left him in charge of my kingdom because I know he'll take good care of it. If you don't trust him, it's just because you have terrible sense."

Divith's hard expression remained unchanged. "I only wish for your best, Princess Ameia, and I do not want something terrible to happen to your beloved kingdom Tenrya while you are away from it."

She waved a hand at him dismissively and scoffed. "It'll be fine. Now go away - I cast a spell on this thing to protect myself from its enchantment. And I fully intend to use its powers to my advantage." She stared down at the dark crystal for a moment, and then raised her eyes toward Counselor Divith. "You said you wished for Tenrya's best, correct? Well, when I harvest this crystal's powers, Tenrya will be in very, very powerful, invincible hands." She smirked. "I'll be the strongest ruler in the world, and nobody will ever dare to declare war on me."

"Hmm." Divith looked doubtful, but he turned and strode out of the room, calling over his shoulder, "Be careful, Your Highness."

The moment he was gone, Ameia reached forward and let her finger hover over the beautiful, dark crystal. Then she hesitated. What if Divith was right? What if she hadn't cast the protection spell properly, and what if it killed her? She clenched her teeth so hard that it made her head hurt - and then, before she could have any second thoughts, she pressed her finger onto the crystal's surface.

Instantly, she felt power rushing through her veins like terrible jolt. The sudden shock of the feeling made her gasp, and she reflexively reeled away. Panting, she tried to calm herself down. She wasn't dead... she seemed totally fine. A strange tingling feeling surged through her, and when she looked down at her fingers, she noticed that they glowed red. She stared at her glowing fingers for a long time, and then cautiously reached out and pointed toward the shadows in a corner. With all her willpower, she focused on those shadows and told them to bend. And they obeyed. With spindly, inky fingers, the shadows climbed up the walls like a physical force. Then, when she flicked her wrist, the shadows sharpened into knives, and they flew toward her. With a shriek, Ameia ducked as quickly as possible, and she heard the whistle of the shadowy weapons rushing past her head. A sharp crack followed, and the window behind her shattered.

Ameia cautiously looked up and toward the window, where tendrils of darkness curled up from the shattered panes where the shadowy knives had broken through. Ameia grinned and whirled around to face the wonderful crystal on her table. Soon she would be the strongest sorceress in the world, and nobody could deny her.

* * *

Link leaned forward in Epona's saddle, feeling thoroughly exhausted. He was sure that Ashei didn't feel any better than he did. On their way out from Snowpeak, they had stopped to soak in the Spirit Lanayru's spring, but though it had relieved some of the pain from their wounds, it had not given them any energy at all.

"Let's eat something," Ashei suggested with a quiet yawn. "We won't be able to spy on Hyrule Castle on an empty stomach, yeah?"

Link sighed heavily and pulled Epona to a stop. He wasn't sure if it was such a good idea to go to Hyrule Castle in the first place, but Ashei had said that it was the best idea they had. After all, they had the Light Shell, and they had to discover what they were supposed to do with it. "And besides," Ashei had said, "it would be a good idea to spy on Hyrule Castle and see if we can find out what's happening."

Link produced the last of his rations of food and gave half of them to Ashei. She quickly devoured the food and waited until Link had finished his until she said, "Come on, let's hurry. We might even find the other members of the resistance there somewhere."

With a sigh, Link nodded in reply, and gently kneed Epona's sides. She set off at a trot toward Hyrule Castle. In a desperate attempt to keep himself from falling asleep, Link tried to survey his surroundings. And that was when he saw it - a fat plume of smoke rising up from the south. Link stared at it for a while, feeling like his heart was slowly dropping into his stomach. It was a fire, of course - a huge one. And the plume of smoke rose up right from where Ordon Village sat.

Without a word to Ashei, Link sharply veered Epona into the direction of his home.

"What - where are we going?" Ashei demanded. "This is not the direction of Castle Town!"

"Look." Link pointed to the giant pillar of smoke rising in the distance. "That's where my home is. Something's happening."

Ashei sighed. "I'm sorry, Link, but we have to turn and go. Come on, hurry! I bet the bulblins are attacking your home, and if we don't hurry and hit them at their source - Castle Town - then they'll start ruining other places too, yeah? We have to go! We can't take detours!"

Link gritted his teeth. "I won't stand by as my home burns to the ground. I'm going." He urged Epona to go faster, and she obeyed with a panicked whinny, obviously sensing her master's distress.

Ashei gripped at his shoulders. "Turn around, Link. I want to find my friends and make sure they're okay. And I want to stop whatever's happening in Castle Town."

"And I want to stop whatever's happening in Ordon!"

"Then stop and let me go!" Ashei shouted in frustration. "If you won't come with me, then I'll go alone! I'm sorry, Link, but I have to stop our enemies in Castle Town before they get too strong. We have the Light Shell now, we need to use it! You can understand that, can't you?"

He gave no response, trying to ignore her. He did understand, but his home was just as important to him as Hyrule Castle Town, and he refused to do nothing as it burned to the ground.

Ashei remained silent for a moment longer before she yelled in aggravation, "Link! Stop!" And still he didn't obey. She reached her arms around him, snatched Epona's reins, and jerked her to a stop.

With a loud cry of displeasure, Epona danced frantically back and forth on her hooves. She was confused and frightened, feeding off her master's emotions. Link gritted his teeth, prepared to urge Epona into a gallop again, but only after Ashei got off her back. He didn't need Ashei to make things difficult for him the entire way to Ordon.

Ashei huffed. "I'm sorry, Link, but it looks like we're both pretty stubborn." She grabbed the pouch at his hip and pulled it away from him. And then she leaped off Epona's back before he even had a chance to turn around and snatch his pouch back from her. That same pouch held the Light Shell, and she'd stolen it. But Link couldn't turn around and chase after her now - he was in too much of a hurry. He needed to get to Ordon Village as quickly as possible. He could have reclaimed the Light Shell if he forced it out of Ashei's hands, but he didn't want to fight her. He'd just have to hope that she wouldn't misuse it. With a long, shaky sigh of frustration, he urged Epona into a gallop.

Ordon blazed bright orange when Link arrived. He couldn't even enter the village itself - the flames leaped too dangerously high for that. The Ordonians were fleeing in terror, and hardly anyone even noticed Link as they desperately escaped from the fire.

Yet at the edge of the flames stood a small gang of bulblins, screeching in their strange, garbled language. Rusl stood among them, cutting down as many of them as he could, but he was outnumbered.

Link flicked Epona's reins. "Hyah!" His poor horse was obviously terrified of the fire, but her master had told her to go forth, and so she obeyed. Trembling with fear, she charged forward, trampling the nearest bulblins into the ground. Link drew his sword and hacked at each bulblin he passed by, and the creatures fell with screeches of pain. As soon as he had dispatched all of them, he looked toward the wall of fire. It was huge, and it roared closer with each passing second.

"Link!" Rusl yelled over the noise of the fiercely crackling fire.

They had to leave, and soon. Link reached a hand down to Rusl and helped him up into the saddle, then spurred Epona into a gallop. She was clearly happy to escape the deadly flames, and she burst forward with a panicked speed.

She only stopped when she had reached Faron Spring, where all the other villagers had gathered. Epona lowered her head to drink from the cool waters of the shallow pool, her muscles quivering with fear and exhaustion. Link slid off her back and gently stroked her neck. "Thank you, Epona," he said quietly to her, and she lightly shook her mane in reply.

Rusl dismounted the mare as well, and sank to the ground with a long, feeble sigh. Link looked at him with a sympathetic expression. "I thought you had stayed in Hyrule Castle Town," he said.

Rusl nodded. "I did stay there for a while, but then the bulblins attacked. I nearly got captured, and only barely managed to escape yesterday." His shoulders sagged, and he slouched forward. "I only got to rest for a few hours before the bulblins attacked Ordon and started everything on fire. I think everyone got out safely, though."

"Dad!" It was Colin's voice. The child's face and hair was dotted with ash and soot, but he looked happy. He rushed to embrace his father, and Rusl happily returned the hug.

"You're safe, Colin!" He patted his son's shoulder. "I'm so glad. And your mother and baby sister...?"

Colin turned and motioned to his mother, Uli, holding her tiny one-year-old daughter. With a cry of relief, Uli raced forward to meet her husband, and Link decided that it would be best to leave them alone. He began to walk away, but Rusl called to him, "Link. Wait."

Link turned to face the man again. Rusl took a deep breath, and asked, "Have you been to Castle Town? Have you seen the bulblin raid?"

Link nodded somberly, and Rusl continued, "I don't know why they're back, but this attack on Ordon shows that they're not planning to stay in Castle Town." He grimaced. "They might try to ruin all of Hyrule." He stared off into the distance with a blank expression, then shook his head. "And I'm quite sure they're in league with the Tenrian guards."

Link furrowed his brow. "Ten...ren... what?" What was he talking about?

Rusl folded his arms across his chest. "Ah... right. You don't know about the trade treaty." Link raised a brow in response. Rusl continued, "Princess Zelda was planning to make a trade treaty with Tenrya, Hyrule's neighboring kingdom. That's why I left Ordon to go to Castle Town on 'official business' - the resistance wanted to make sure that this treaty was a good idea. The Princess wanted to start making treaties with the outside kingdoms, since we haven't had contact with anyone outside of Hyrule for many years. It all seemed fine at first - the Tenrian princess, Ameia, seemed like a poised and civil person. She stayed for a couple weeks with her guards at her side, and then... her guards imprisoned Princess Zelda and took over Hyrule Castle. And the bulblins raided on that exact same day. I don't think it's a coincidence."

Uli and Colin, who had been hovering behind Rusl while he spoke, both gasped in unison. Uli covered her mouth with a hand. "The castle has been overtaken? The princess is in prison? What are we to do?"

Rusl turned to face his wife. "We'll figure this out, I promise."

Colin frowned and looked down at his feet. "But... we don't have anywhere to stay now..."

Link glanced to the sky, clouded with black soot and ash. He grimaced. Of course the Ordonians couldn't just stay in Faron Woods - it wasn't safe. There was plenty of food to be found, but there was no housing, and sometimes the woods were filled with dangerous creatures. It was not a place for little children like Uli's daughter, Colin, Talo, Malo, and Beth. "Maybe you could go to Kakariko until all of this is sorted out."

"That might not work," Rusl said. "If the bulblins have attacked Ordon already, then Kakariko might be their next target."

Link sighed. "Where else are you supposed to stay?"

Rusl shook his head. "I... I'm not sure. I'll talk to Mayor Bo about it." He looked up to the sky, only to see that the sun was slowly sinking over the horizon. "And I'd better hurry. Night's falling. Be safe, Link." Then he hurried off to find the Mayor.

Link turned around then, only to see Ilia standing a few feet in front of him, her hands clasped together. Her eyes brightened hopefully when he looked at her, and she smiled. "Link! Are you okay?" She hurried toward him. "I noticed you were done speaking with Rusl, so I thought I'd... check up on you."

He smiled. "I'm all right. Are you?" Her hair and clothes were dusted with ash, but she looked unharmed.

She nodded, and her lips turned downward in a frown. "You know why the bulblins are back, don't you?"

But Link didn't really know. Sure, Rusl had told him about some sort of trade treaty gone wrong with a kingdom called Tenrya, and maybe the bulblins were involved, but he wasn't quite sure what to tell Ilia. Link opened his mouth to speak, but just then, he thought he could hear the faint ringing of metal grating against metal. He paused to listen - and the sound grew ever so slightly louder.

Ilia stared at him, her frown deepening. "Seriously, Link -"

"Shhh."

"Don't you dare 'shhh' me! I have a right to know! You need to -"

_"Shush,"_ Link hissed quietly. Ilia finally seemed to notice the worried look on his face, and she pressed her lips together in a thin line. Some of the other villagers were talking between each other, but their tones were so hushed that it was easy for Link to ignore them. The metallic noises sounded almost like armor clinking together, and Link's heart skipped a beat. Soldiers? "Stay here," he told Ilia, "and tell the people to be silent. It's important." Without waiting for her response, he crept off through the trees, hiding in the shadows, and made his way directly toward the noises.

As dusk slowly descended over the land, Link noticed them - five of the guards with foreign armor coming straight into Faron Woods. So these were the Tenrians, then? Their armor was definitely not Hyrulian, and it looked like the same armor the guards that had invaded the Castle wore. If they continued on their current path, they would be heading straight toward the Ordonians. Link had to hurry back and warn the others, and they'd have to escape quietly into the darkness of night. But how? They were cornered. They couldn't return to the burned-down Ordon Village, but they couldn't just run straight for Hyrule Field, or else they'd run into the Tenrian guards. Biting his lip, Link tried to think of an alternate route for escape.

He quickly scanned his surroundings and realized that the Ordonians would just have to trudge through the thickest part of the forest in order to escape. He cast one last glance toward the advancing guards before slinking away into the shadows.

When he returned to Faron Spring, all the people were hushed and still. The children squirmed, but their parents kept telling them in hushed tones to remain silent. They knew something was happening - after all, they'd just been attacked by bulblins. They all looked up at Link as soon as he entered, and he lifted a finger to his lips and headed straight toward Rusl and Bo. "The guards are coming straight for us. We have to go, now. But we have to go through the thickest part of the forest in order to avoid being seen."

Bo and Rusl grimaced and looked between each other, then nodded. "Let's hurry, then," Bo whispered, and scurried around the Spring to tell the others what they were doing.

Rusl leaned over to Link. "I'll lead them through the forest. Take up the rear and make sure nobody notices us from behind."

Link nodded, and then Rusl set off, motioning for the others to follow him. All the Ordonians disappeared into the maze of trees, except for Ilia. "Aren't you coming?" she whispered to Link, as the sound of clinking armor grew ever louder.

He nodded hurriedly. "Go!" he said to her in panic as he slipped his bow off his shoulder.

Ilia bit her lip. "What about Epona? She can't make it through such thick trees."

"I'll take care of things back here. I'll meet you in Hyrule Field." Rusl had told him to watch the rear, after all, so he'd stay behind and make sure that nobody followed the Ordonians - even if it meant he had to shoot all the guards down. And he had to protect Ordon. _There's no Ordon left to protect, _a voice in his head nagged at him, and he gritted his teeth. Ordon was gone. Why was he even here? Couldn't he just hurry and go with the others? But he stood rooted to his spot and felt as if he couldn't move.

Ilia's eyes were full of worry. "Link. Come on. Please. I'm not leaving you back here. I've been separated from you far too many times over the past couple years."

"I promise I'll meet you in Hyrule Field, okay?" Link's heart began to thump faster and faster. He could hear the guards louder than ever before - they sounded like they were just around the corner. He needed Ilia to hurry and get to safety before they saw her. He nocked an arrow to his bow and readied himself to draw the string to his cheek.

But Ilia stood her ground. "You're not the same as you used to be," she mumbled. "Just a couple years ago you were much less... solemn."

Honestly? She wanted to talk about that right as a bunch of Tenrian guards were about to attack them? "Really? How _else_ am I supposed to act when we're about to be assaulted?" he said irritably. "Just... Go!"

It was too late. The five Tenrian guards turned the corner, their swords sheathed at their hips. Link quickly drew the arrow to his cheek, aimed at the tiny slit of unprotected skin at a guard's throat, and fired. The arrow's aim held true, and the guard fell to the ground with a wet scream and the clunking of heavy armor. Ilia shrieked and covered her mouth with a hand, stumbling backward a few steps.

Link nocked another arrow to his bow as the guards all drew their swords. Taking careful aim, he fired another arrow and felled one more guard. But the guards were advancing quickly, and Link didn't have time to nock another arrow to his bow. In one fluid movement, he slung his bow over his shoulder and drew his sword.

The nearest guard slashed at him, and Link parried his blow. The two swords rang together with a horrible, grating clash of steel, and Ilia shrieked again. "Stay behind me!" Link demanded sharply as he parried attack after attack. The other two guards pressed in on him, and he soon found himself outnumbered. He kicked at one guard's legs, and the man tripped forward with a shout of surprise. The moment he was on the ground, Link dodged the attacks of the other two guards and stabbed ruthlessly at the fallen one. Link was only satisfied once the man stopped screaming and squirming.

But in his distraction, he neglected to notice one of the other guards thrusting toward his back. The sword stabbed beneath his right shoulder blade, and Link gasped in pain. He stumbled out of the way as quickly as he could while Ilia screamed, "Link!"

He couldn't let himself be distracted anymore. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he stood his ground and took a defensive stance as the guards advanced on him again. He deflected and parried their every blow, the sound of steel clashing on steel ringing through the woods. He was just beginning to pant from fatigue when he noticed an opening in one of the guard's defenses. With quick reflexes, he stabbed his blade toward the guard's exposed shoulder, the sword passing through the small unguarded area between the plates of armor. The guard gasped in pain and tried to retreat, but Link drove his sword further into his enemy's flesh, and then twisted the blade. With a shriek of agony, the man fell writhing to the forest floor.

The final Tenrian guard stared at Link for a while, holding his sword in a defensive position, and he took a few wary steps backward. And then he lunged. Link tried and barely succeeded to deflect the attack, but his wound was aggravating him more and more with each passing second. He didn't know how much longer he could last - he'd already been terribly wounded at Snowpeak, and had only Lanayru Spring Water to heal him. The bite marks of the wolfos along his arms and legs were beginning to hurt all over again, and he knew he had to finish off this guard as quickly as possible.

The guard slashed and hacked at Link rather haphazardly, and Link used this to his advantage. He quickly side-stepped all the pathetic attacks and drove his sword into an open slot of armor at the man's abdomen. His enemy screamed and collapsed to the ground.

It was only then that Link realized just how exhausted he was, and all the various wounds he'd collected over the past few days were burning. But the worst one was the most recent wound beneath his shoulder blade. Clenching his jaw, he wiped the blood off his sword in the grass, then sheathed it. He heard a quiet whimper behind him, and remembered that Ilia had been present the entire time.

Link turned to her and quickly looked her over to see if she was all right. Of course, none of the guards would have had a chance to hurt her, but he checked anyway. "Are you okay?"

Ilia trembled and brought a hand up to cover her mouth. "Did you have to be so cruel to them? So... violent and ruthless?"

His expression darkened. "Kill or be killed."

She stared at him in horror, and then she began to sob. Oh, great... What was he supposed to do? He looked at her, his eyes softening, and then shook his head. "I'm sorry you had to see that..." _Of course, if you would have gone with the others when I told you to, you wouldn't have seen any of it. _But he didn't say that aloud, since he knew it wouldn't help the situation at all. She kept crying, her shoulders shaking with sobs. "Come on, Ilia. Let's go find the others." When she still didn't move, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders and guided her into the trees. He heard Epona whinny behind him, and she began to follow him. Ilia tried to get control of her racking sobs, and finally she managed to speak.

"But... but you're hurt."

"I'll be fine."

"Don't say that." Ilia sniffled. "You need to take care of yourself properly. Go clean off in the spring." She seemed to be in slightly better control of herself, but she still looked white-faced, red-eyed, and scared. "Please?"

Link sighed heavily. He supposed it would be nice to soak in Faron Spring... But it was getting late. The sky was dark and the crescent moon slowly crept higher into the sky. "All right. But only after we find the others."

"Why? You need to take care of yourself now."

Link frowned. She had made a rather quick recovery from her traumatized sobs, and now she was being her stubborn self. He was at least glad that she seemed to be all right. She was strong, after all. "I want to make sure you're safe. Come on, let's hurry." He gently nudged her forward, and she trudged off into the trees with Link at her heels. The moment they found the other Ordonians, Link heard the sound of more heavy, armored footsteps. His heart dropped. No, it couldn't be! More guards? But why? How? He peeked through the thick trees, only to see the shapes of more Tenrian guards stomping through Faron Woods. There were only three of them, but Link couldn't fight anymore - and who knew how many more were coming? He only hoped the Ordonians could remain silent as they fled to somewhere safer. There was definitely no time for Link to return to the spring.


	8. Chapter Seven

**A/N: Sooooo... another chapter. Just a warning in advance for you guys - I probably won't be updating this Friday because I'm kind of busy. Sorry, guys. D: I'll update next Tuesday, I promise! Thanks for reading!**

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Hyrule Field was dark under the scant light of the crescent moon. The Ordonians had finally escaped Faron Woods, but now they were faced with the vast, unknown expanse of the fields. Most of the Ordonians had hardly dared to venture outside of Faron Woods, and the only people that had ever been far away from Ordon were Rusl, Mayor Bo, and Link himself. Of course, the children and Ilia had been taken far away from their homes a couple years ago, but they hadn't ventured far from Ordon once they had finally returned. Hyrule Field was an eerie, unknown place to most of the villagers. It would be especially dangerous to continue on in the darkness, but it could also prove equally as dangerous to wait until daytime. They had to do something.

Epona whinnied softly and nuzzled Link's uninjured shoulder. She had managed to escape unnoticed through Faron Woods by taking a route slightly less thick with trees, but it was obvious that she had still struggled to squeeze through. Her mane and tail were a mess of leaves and twigs, and she had a few tiny scratches on her sides and nose. Link gently stroked at her neck and began plucking out some of the twigs in her mane.

Ilia stepped up beside him and inspected Epona. "She's all scratched up."

Link sighed. "She'll be okay. I just need to apply some salve to the scratches."

"You have salve?"

Link nodded. "I took some with me a few days ago but never used it." He'd used all of Ashei's Spring Water instead. At the thought of Ashei, Link suddenly felt a twinge of anger. She had stolen his Light Shell and run off with it. She hadn't even cared about the fate of Ordon Village. But from her point of view, maybe she thought Link didn't care about the fate of Castle Town.

Ilia awkwardly shifted her weight. "Link, I'm so sorry for staying behind. It was so selfish of me. I just wanted to make sure you were coming with us. I didn't want you to stay back and fight... whatever it was you were fighting."

Link frowned and continued to pluck twigs and leaves from Epona's mane. "No, I'm sorry. I _could_ have escaped without a fight, but I stayed back for no reason at all. I... I guess..."

Ilia waited for him to finish, but he didn't. She urged him onward, "Yes?"

"I guess I wanted to save Ordon."

Ilia stared at him with wide, sad eyes. She lowered her gaze to her feet and clasped her hands together, her eyes shining with tears. "There's no Ordon left to save." Her voice was hardly above a whisper.

Link closed his eyes and gripped at Epona's mane. "I know." He had no idea what he'd been thinking - why had he stayed behind to protect a village that didn't even exist anymore? And where were they supposed to go from there? They couldn't just stand out in Hyrule Field all night. He gave a heavy sigh of frustration and hopelessness. Epona nickered softly and turned her head toward him, then began nibbling at his hair. Link smiled at her and gently swatted her away. "What are you doing?" he asked with a quiet laugh, and he heard Ilia giggling softly, but her tone still held obvious sadness.

Rusl stepped toward him. "Link. Come on. We have to move."

Link turned toward him and frowned. "But where should we go?"

Rusl shrugged. "You said it yourself. Kakariko Village. However..." He crossed his arms and frowned thoughtfully. "Someone will have to go ahead and scout out the place before we rush blindly in. It might have been attacked by bulblins, just like Ordon."

Ilia clenched her fists. "Well, why don't you go? Link's injured. There is no way he's going anywhere."

Rusl suddenly looked at Link with a concerned expression. "You got hurt? Where?"

Link huffed. "I'm okay. I can take care of it myself." He had desperately been trying to ignore the pain in all his various little wounds, but that hadn't been working very well. "I'll scout out Kakariko if you'd like me to."

Rusl shook his head. "No... Stay back and watch the people with Mayor Bo. Make sure they're okay and keep them safe. I'll go and make sure everything is all right." He frowned. "But I'm hoping that no more guards come to Ordon. After all, when Princess Ameia first came to Hyrule, she didn't have a huge escort with her - just a decent-sized group. How can she be sending so many guards if she doesn't have the resources to do so?"

Link paused. "Maybe she called for reinforcements?"

Rusl shook his head. "Tenrya is too far away for that. Princess Ameia has been here for a couple weeks, yes, but she's only been in control of Castle Town for a few days. I'm sure that she's called for reinforcements already, but they wouldn't have arrived." Suddenly Rusl's eyes brightened with hope. "So maybe, since she's sending so many guards to Ordon - and possibly to Kakariko - she might be short-handed at the castle. This could be our chance to rush in and take it back."

Link thought about it for a moment. It might have been a good time to try and take Hyrule Castle Town back - but he'd probably have to scout it out first to feel comfortable about it. He'd already charged into Castle Town unprepared once, and his foolishness had been repaid in full - he'd been attacked by bulblins and tossed in a dungeon cell. Link shook his head. "We have to get the Ordonians to safety first."

Rusl nodded. "Of course. I'll go check out Kakariko right now. But if it's not safe, then we'll need to find somewhere else to go." He patted Link on his right shoulder, and Link tried very hard not to flinch. Instead he forced a smile and nodded once in reply.

Then, with a hopeful smile to Link and Ilia, Rusl turned and walked away into the night.

As soon as he was gone, Ilia turned to Link and bit her lip. "Guards? Princess Ameia? What in the world is all of that about?" Link opened his mouth to answer her, but Ilia shook her head. "Wait a minute. I'll dress your wound for you. Where's the salve?"

"Epona needs it."

Ilia huffed. "You know that salve for humans doesn't work exactly the same for horses, don't you? And even if it did, you need it more than she does. Sure, I feel bad for the poor girl that she's all scratched up..." Ilia paused to gently stroke Epona's neck, and the mare responded with a quiet whinny of contentment. "But, Link, you're more hurt than she is."

Link sighed and reached into Epona's saddlebags, and produced the salve and bandages. He was thankful that Ilia had volunteered to tend to his wound, since he certainly wouldn't have swallowed his pride and asked her for her help. "Here."

Ilia accepted the bundle of salve and bandages, then motioned toward him with her head. "Well. I have to tend to your wounds."

Link stared blankly at her for a moment. "Oh... Right." He peeled off his tunics, the simple motion making his shoulder blaze in pain. He winced visibly and sucked in a sharp breath to avoid whining. Then he released the breath in a long sigh.

Ilia stared at his chest for a moment, her cheeks turning pink. She lightly shook her head as if to clear it and frowned. "What's this? You're covered in wounds!" She gently pressed at the wolfos bite mark on his chest, and he flinched.

"Ow. Maybe you could... not do that?"

"What in the world happened to you? And you have to tell me what this Ameia business is about." She reached into Epona's saddlebags and fished through them until she found a clean white rag. A shallow pool of water sat beneath a small ledge nearby, and Ilia jumped down into it, motioning for Link to follow. She dipped the rag in the pool of water and began gently cleaning all his wounds. Then she dipped her finger in the salve and began to wipe it across his most recent wound.

He flinched. "Holy Din, that stings!"

"Be quiet and stop wincing so much!" She sighed and then gently turned him back to face her. "There. I'm done. Now what about all these?" She motioned to the bite marks along his arms and the one on his chest, and the arrow wound in his side and shoulder. Then she narrowed her eyes. "What's all this?" She pointed to a few scars along his chest and abdomen that he'd gotten when he had battled Ganondorf what felt like ages ago.

"Nothing," Link replied quickly. "I'm fine now. Thanks." He turned around and started to walk away, but Ilia gently grasped his arm and pulled him back.

"What do you mean, you're fine? How did you get all these? Haven't I told you not to be irrational?" She looked horribly worried, and she bit her lip. "Never mind. Just let me treat these other wounds. And I still need to bandage you up." She dipped her fingers into the salve again. "So tell me what you and Rusl were talking about."

Link sighed. "Apparently some foreign princess named Ameia took over Hyrule Castle. She might also be in league with - Ow!" Ilia had started wiping the salve across his chest. He tried not to flinch, but it was difficult.

Ilia snorted rather disgracefully. "So you can be stabbed in the back and not even cry out, but the moment I start wiping salve on your wounds, you turn into a crying child."

Link raised a brow. "A crying child? Really? I'm not a - owww!" Now she had moved to spreading the salve across the wounds in his shoulder and side.

Ilia actually laughed. "Oh, right, of course you're not. You're a big, brave warrior." Her tone was laced with sarcasm, but Link tried to ignore it. Ilia put the salve away and began unwrapping the roll of bandages. "So... continue."

Link paused. "And so this Princess Ameia might be in league with the bulblins. I don't know much, though." Ilia wrapped the bandages around him. "You should have Rusl explain it all to you."

She frowned and stepped back from him, studying his bandaged torso. "Well... that will have to do for now." She replaced the unused salve and bandages in Epona's saddlebags, and then she stood there for a long while, staring off into the distance. "Link?"

"Hmm?" He pulled his tunics back over his head.

"I still can't get that image out of my head... of you shooting those men and stabbing them so mercilessly." Her voice trembled. "Was that really necessary? Especially the man that you stabbed and then... twisted your sword..." She shuddered.

"I just wanted to make sure he was dead," Link replied simply. When she said it like that, it made him sound cruel, but he'd simply been acting on survival instinct. He reflected on the way he had killed the guards, and wondered if he had really been needlessly cruel. He grimaced at the thought. He had taken human lives - the lives of men who probably had families or people they loved. The sudden realization made him flinch. He hadn't even thought about that while he had been desperately fighting for his life. Suddenly, he felt like an awful person.

Ilia hadn't replied. She continued staring into the night sky without saying a word. Then she led Epona into the shallow pool. "I'm going to wash her," Ilia mumbled quietly, her face pale. Link stared at her, her back turned to him, and he wondered what to say to her. What could he possibly tell her that would make her feel better about the whole awful situation? He had no idea. There was probably nothing he _could _say.

Link turned away and watched the night sky. He hated fighting. He was sick of battles. Was it too hard to ask for a little bit of peace? But the past year had been peaceful, and he had simply taken it for granted. All he wanted to do was rest. He felt like the last few days had been nothing but chaos and insanity. He just needed a nice, long nap.

The night was calm and still. Link hoped he wouldn't have to deal with anything trying to attack the Ordonians. He looked out across the small group of villagers - they were speaking in hushed tones and some of them were watching their surroundings warily. Mayor Bo broke off from the crowd and walked over toward his daughter, completely ignoring Link along the way. He patted Ilia's shoulder, and she turned toward her father with a forced smile. Link decided to leave them alone, and instead he found a better vantage point to watch for potential threats. He only wanted to sleep - he was thoroughly exhausted, especially since he had hardly even slept for the past few nights. But he had to stay awake and watch for danger.

And then he felt warm rays of sun beating down onto him. Link's eyes flashed open, and he realized that he had fallen asleep. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickly scrambled to his feet, trying to scan his surroundings at the same time. The Ordonians seemed fine - most of them were asleep, and none of them appeared to be hurt. He heaved a sigh of relief.

Rusl appeared in the distance and headed toward the sleeping villagers. Link stepped forward to meet him. "How is it?" he asked.

Rusl smiled. "It looks safe enough. Most the villagers were asleep, but I managed to speak to the shaman there, Renado. I asked him if anything strange had been happening lately, but he said that Kakariko was quiet and peaceful. I warned him of a possible bulblin attack and then told him that our village had been burned down. He said the Ordonians could stay there in Kakariko and that he'd make sure the village was properly guarded against any enemies. I think he intends to ask the Gorons for their help."

Link nodded slowly. He wanted to make sure his people were safe before he rushed off to Castle Town. "Let's wake them up and tell them what's happening."

"All right. But once we escort them to Kakariko, I'm going back to Castle Town to see what I can do to help. I'm not sure what Princess Ameia did to the Hyrulian army - she must have managed to imprison them, bribe them to work for her, or maybe she even killed them all off. All I know is that I'm on my own." He frowned and folded his arms across his chest.

"Maybe you won't be completely alone," Link said. "I'm going."

Rusl smiled. "It'll be good to have you with me." He dropped his arms to his sides and took a deep breath. "Well, let's wake up the villagers and get going. The moment they're safe in Kakariko, we need to get to Hyrule Castle Town as quickly as we can. And we need to restore Princess Zelda to her rightful place on the throne. This is a war, and I intend to win it."

* * *

Ashei pressed herself against the dark wall of an alleyway. Two heavily armored guards marched past her as she desperately held her breath. In her hand she clutched Link's pouch. She felt a little bad for stealing it, but not too much - after all, he had rushed off toward Ordon Village without even taking a second thought for poor Castle Town's fate. If he was going to be too stubborn to use the Light Shell for its intended purpose, then Ashei would have to use it for him.

As soon as the guards were gone, she slipped out of the alleyway and crept through Castle Town's streets, hiding in the shadows to avoid the gazes of the bulblins standing atop the roofs. Slinking through the darkness, she made her way toward Telma's Bar.

The place was entirely abandoned. It was disheartening to Ashei - in the past, she had always been able to come to the bar whenever she wanted to see some of her friends. Now Telma, Shad, Auru, and Rusl were nowhere to be found. The bar wasn't even being watched by bulblins or guards. At least it made her job easier.

Ashei climbed atop a table and reached toward the edge of a long, dark alcove. She heaved herself up and climbed into the alcove, peering down into the dim path before her. This was supposed to be the secret entrance to Hyrule Castle, but Ashei had never used it before, and she was wary of it. Did it really lead to the castle? She supposed there was only one way to find out.

As she crawled through the alcove, she came to a little door that hung ajar. When she pushed it open, she found herself looking down into a dusty house. The little house looked abandoned. And this certainly wasn't the castle. Where was she? Ashei jumped down into the small house and looked around. Was this a dead end?

It was then that she noticed a little trapdoor in the corner. Ashei pulled it open and peered down inside, only to find a long stretch of horrible sewers below her. It smelled terrible. She held her breath and jumped down the trapdoor.

She slid down the long, damp slide into the sewers below. Filthy water splashed up all around her, and Ashei wrinkled her nose in disgust, quickly scrambling to her feet and trying to avoid the water as much as she could. The sewers smelled awful. She tried to breathe through her mouth as much as she could to avoid inhaling the terrible stench. Then she trekked forward through the sewers beneath Castle Town.

The sewers were abandoned except for a few rats huddling in the corners. When they saw her, they bared their ugly teeth at her and crept toward her. Ashei stared at them in disgust. Who knew what kind of diseases they had? She sprinted away from the rats as quickly as she could, slipping on the damp ground beneath her in her haste to flee from them. She would rather run from them than risk getting bitten.

Other than the occasional rat, the sewers were empty, and her journey through them was rather uneventful. She reached a long staircase that spiraled upward, and she looked up toward the top. It was a very long way up, but she figured that the staircase might have led to somewhere inside the castle. She took a deep breath and instantly regretted it; filthy sewer air swirled into her nostrils. Ashei gagged and held a hand over her nose, then clambered up the stairs as quickly as she possibly could.

When she finally reached the top, she paused to catch her breath for a moment, and then she pulled open a nearby door and peered outside. The wonderful light of the sun poured down onto the roofs of what could only be Hyrule Castle. Ashei took a deep breath of fresh, clean air and stepped outside, shutting the door behind her. A few scattered bulblins stood on the tall rooftops, and Ashei decided it would be best to avoid them if she could. Somehow she needed to get into the castle itself without being noticed. She scanned her surroundings, looking for some way inside Hyrule Castle. Across the tall rooftops was a large, open window. That would be her best chance to get inside. With a cursory glance toward the bulblins, she dashed across the roofs of the castle.

A terrible, garbled screech pierced the air. Ashei whirled around, only to see a bulblin aiming an arrow straight toward her. She hastily ducked as the arrow flew past her head, and then a swarm of bulblins rushed toward her, nocking arrows to their bows. Ashei didn't have time to fight them - she had to run.

Sprinting across the rooftops of Hyrule Castle, Ashei tried hard not to look down. She had no idea how high up she was, and she didn't want to find out. An arrow thunked into the roof behind her, urging her to run faster.

And then one of the horrible little creatures stood in front of her, barring her way. It nocked an arrow to its bow, aimed at her, and drew the string to its green cheek.

But before it could fire, Ashei lunged at the bulblin, drawing her sword and piercing the creature through in one smooth movement. The bulblin screeched in pain and then fell limp, and Ashei kicked its body off her blade. The bulblin's corpse fell far down into the castle courtyard below, and it was only then that Ashei looked down.

The drop was terrifying. A sudden, horrible sense of vertigo nearly overcame Ashei, and she stepped back with a gasp. It took her a moment to realize that someone below her was shouting. She paused to try and make out the words.

"...intruder in the castle! Intruder!"

Despite the fact that she didn't want to, Ashei peered down the edge again. She saw the bulblin's dead body lying crumpled in the courtyard far below, and two guards surrounded it, shouting in panic. She had to hurry. Ashei whirled around and sprinted toward the open window again with renewed energy. She quickly climbed up onto the window's edge and looked down to the spiraling staircase below her. The drop was a bit too far down for her liking, but she was in a hurry. Without hesitation, she leaped down onto the staircase and tried to roll on the balls of her feet to absorb the impact. But she failed, and dropping from such a high height hurt her feet and legs. She stood crouched there for a moment, her legs stinging in protest as she tried to force herself to stand.

She heard a shout echoing up the spiraling staircase, and Ashei quickly sprinted up the stairs, hoping to find some kind of refuge from the guards chasing her. Once she reached the top, though, she realized she had made a mistake - two guards stood in front a pair of large doors. Where was she supposed to go? She had nowhere to run. She'd have to fight the guards in front of her and try to hide in the room beyond the large double-doors. It was the best idea she had in her moment of panic.

The guards before her drew their swords, and she drew hers. They both advanced on her at the same time, and Ashei feinted toward the one on the left, who quickly held up his sword to parry hers. But at the last moment, she whirled toward the man on her right and stabbed at the first gap in his armor she saw. Her sword pierced deep into his abdomen, and the guard fell with a groan of pain.

The other guard hacked at her, and she barely managed to notice his attack in time to dodge it. She tried to take advantage of any openings he left, but he blocked or deflected every attack she could throw at him. She started dropping her guard in a desperate attempt to land just one hit on him, but the man noticed the drop in her defenses, and he sliced at her side.

Ashei cried out in pain and flinched back, trying not to look at her fresh wound. She needed to devote all her attention to the man in front of her. She could hear the shouts of the other guards coming ever closer to her, and she knew she had to hurry. She lunged at the guard in front of her and slashed at any weak spot she saw, but again the man deflected her attacks. Ashei noticed that he seemed to be getting tired. Taking advantage of this fact, she hacked at him with as much vigor as she could summon, until finally, the man left an opening wide enough for her to stab at his throat. He didn't even have time to scream before he collapsed to the ground in a clumsy heap.

Ashei didn't have any more time to waste. She sheathed her sword and tried to open the large double-doors in front of her, but they were locked. She heard the footsteps of guards echoing up the stairs, and her heart hammered violently in her chest. She quickly bent down to the corpses of the men she had battled and searched them for keys. One of the men had a small ring of keys tied to his hip, and Ashei desperately snatched these and began to try the keys in the door. Two of them failed to unlock it. The shouts of the guards pursuing her came ever closer. The third key still didn't work.

Finally, the fourth key she tried unlocked the door. With shaking hands, Ashei shoved the doors open and then slammed them shut behind her once she had entered the room.

A small, weak voice called out from the corner of the room, "Who are you? What are you doing here?"

Ashei whirled to face the source of the voice. She hadn't known that she wasn't alone in the room. A thin figure with messy brown hair looked up at her. She looked exhausted and worn, and she was chained to the bedpost behind her, but her blue eyes still burned with defiance and strength. Ashei stared at the figure for a while before she gasped in shock. "Your Highness!" She remembered the guards coming to find her, and she desperately looked around the room for somewhere to hide. "I'm sorry, I have to hide somewhere." She ducked under Princess Zelda's bed and pulled the blankets down to hide herself.

Zelda inhaled sharply. "You are one of the members of the resistance. Your group tried hard to rid Hyrule of dangerous beasts. I thank you for your efforts... but I hate to admit that I've forgotten your name."

"We'll save introductions for later, yeah?" Ashei whispered from under the bed. "Please don't let them know I'm here."

Princess Zelda remained silent after that. Ashei heard a group of guards burst in through the doors, shouting angrily. "Why are two of our men outside dead?" one of them demanded, his angry voice rising above his comrades'.

Ashei was surprised at how calm Zelda's tone was. "How should I know? I have been chained to my own bedpost for days without food, drink, or respite. I know nothing of your men."

The guard howled in rage, and Ashei thought she could hear him kicking furniture around the room. She held as still as she possibly could, and through the uneventful noise she was distinctly aware of the fresh wound on her side. She pressed her hand to her side and felt sticky blood oozing from the gash.

The guard finally stopped throwing things around. He paused for a moment, and a dreadful silence filled the room. Ashei wondered what was happening. And then he asked, "Did anyone come into your room? Don't you dare lie to me."

"You are the only visitors I have had today," Zelda replied. Her voice was even, and Ashei was amazed that it didn't shake in the slightest. It was a little bit rough and raspy - probably from poor Zelda's lack of water and food - but she sounded completely composed.

Again the guard began to throw the furniture around, seething the entire time, "But there's an intruder in here somewhere, I know it!" Finally he stopped and took a deep breath. "You'll pay if you're lying!"

Zelda remained silent. The sound of heavy footsteps retreating rang through the room, and then the door slammed shut.

Ashei waited for a minute before she crawled out from under the bed. "Thanks so much, princess," she said with a heavy sigh of relief. She pulled her hand away from her side, only to discover that it was coated in blood. She grimaced. "I have to get out of here and have this treated as soon as possible. Maybe you could come with me, yeah?"

Princess Zelda smiled bitterly. "I am far too weak to come with you. Thank you for your kindness, but I would only slow you down."

Ashei shook her head and produced the ring of keys that she had taken from one of the dead guards. She knelt down beside Zelda and studied the lock on her chains. It was a tiny lock, and only the smallest key would fit inside it. Ashei found the tiniest key on the keyring and tested it in the chain's lock. The terrible, heavy chains fell off Zelda's wrists and thunked down to the ground below, and the princess slumped forward. Ashei quickly took Zelda's arms and gently pulled the princess to her feet.

Zelda swayed, but desperately tried to keep her balance. "Thank you," she said, her voice finally betraying how weak she really was. "But your wound needs to be dressed before we continue."

Ashei smiled. "I'm fine. I have some Lanayru Spring Water." The last time she had been to Lanayru Spring, she had refilled her vials. She and Zelda needed to hurry and escape the castle as quickly as they could, and they needed as much food and water as they could possibly get. The poor princess was in need of a feast.

As quickly as she could, Ashei grabbed all five vials of Spring Water from her pocket and poured them over her wound. The water stopped the bleeding and managed to stem some of the pain. She sighed heavily and turned to Princess Zelda. "We should hurry, yeah?"

Zelda tried to keep her posture straight, and she nodded. "Yes."

Ashei tilted her head. "I don't know where we'll find some food for you, but we will, I promise. And we'll find somewhere safe for you to stay. But where do you think somewhere safe would be, princess?"

Zelda stared off out the nearby window. "I think that Ordon Village would be a nice, quiet place to stay for a day or two while I regather my strength."

Ashei frowned. "Ordon's in ashes by now, princess." She wondered for a moment if Link was all right and if he and his people had made it to safety.

Zelda looked terrified. "What?" she gasped. "No, it cannot be! The poor Ordonians... All of this is my fault." She lowered her gaze and sighed deeply. "If only I had not granted Princess Ameia access to Hyrule... None of this would have happened." She lifted her eyes. "Yet it is in the past. I must right my wrong, and I will do so at all costs. If you would be so kind, please help me escape, and find me some food and drink so that I may regain my strength. I will fight back until my dying breath if I must."

Zelda's sudden change in mood - from depressed to fiery and determined - surprised Ashei, but she didn't comment on that. Instead, she nodded in reply. "There's no way we'll be able to escape the castle by normal means. The moment we go down that staircase, someone is bound to find us. We're going to have to go back the way I came."

Zelda looked at her with a slightly furrowed brow. "And which way is that?"

Ashei grinned. "You're in for an adventure, Your Highness. I came in through the sewers."

* * *

"Lord Denlot, a letter has arrived for you. It's from Princess Ameia." The soldier handed a folded piece of parchment to the tall man sitting on the throne of Tenrya.

Lord Denlot accepted the letter with a sneer. His bright green eyes held a look of contempt as he unfolded the piece of parchment and read over its words.

_Lord Denlot,_

_I trust you are taking care of Tenrya in my absence. I am glad that it is you sitting on my throne while I am away. Take care of my kingdom and you will be rewarded handsomely._

_I am in control of Hyrule, but I need more power. I am short-handed and do not have enough men. Please send as many as you can - an army, if you must._

_Signed,_

_Princess Ameia_

Lord Denlot raised a brow and tossed the letter aside. He crossed his legs, steepled his fingers, and stared at the soldier in front of him. "I am a much better ruler than Princess Ameia, wouldn't you think?"

The soldier nodded. "Of course, sir. You are not nearly as rash as she is, and you are much nicer to the common folk. They love you far more than they loved her." He bowed respectfully.

Lord Denlot leaned back into the plush throne and smirked. "Well, then. Princess Ameia is 'short-handed' and therefore vulnerable. In her letter, the princess requested an army. And you can be assured that I'll send her one."

* * *

**A/N: Soooo... this chapter is kinda long, and I'm sorry. xD I really couldn't decide where to end it. I guess I could have ended it after Link's POV, but I felt his section of the chapter was a bit boring, so I had to add a bit of excitement with Ashei. :P Hope you guys liked this chapter anyway! Thank you so much for your continued support, and please feel free to critique! ^^ (I'm not quite sure about some of the description in this chapter... bleh. So if you have any tips, I'll take them. Thanks!)**


	9. Chapter Eight

**A/N: A new chapter for you guys! ...I almost forgot to update. (I was fangirling over the announcement of the new Zelda Wii U and playing Twilight Princess for the umpteenth time. Hope you guys can forgive me xP) Anyway, thanks for reading, and again, feel free to critique what needs to be critiqued!**

* * *

It was late afternoon when the Ordonians finally arrived in Kakariko. Plenty of Gorons stood in the streets, atop the tall cliff walls, and in front of Kakariko Spring. Link instantly felt a little bit safer - but he was still wary of his surroundings. Bulblins could attack at any given moment.

Renado stepped out from inside his healing sanctuary, and he smiled warmly at the visitors. "Welcome, Ordonians," he said kindly, then motioned to the village surrounding him. "Make yourselves at home here."

Mayor Bo shook Renado's hand with great vigor. "It's been a long time," he said happily. "Thanks for your kindness."

Renado nodded. "It is good to see you again."

Epona pressed her nose against Link's shoulder, and he gently patted her neck. He led her toward the Kakariko Spring and then simply let go of her reins, knowing that she wouldn't run off unless he told her to. She whinnied at him and bent down to drink the spring water. Link smiled at a nearby Goron, who waved and called out to him, "Hello, Brother!" Surely the bulblins had no chance against the Gorons - Kakariko was probably the safest place for miles around.

Ilia stood by Link's side and gently pressed up against his arm. "Um, Link, can we go somewhere else?"

He looked over to her. "Why?"

"No reason..." She cast a wary glance toward the Gorons, and when one of them looked at her with a grin, she forced a smile in return.

Link raised a brow. "Are you scared of the Gorons?"

"I wouldn't say _scared, _exactly..."

"But when you'd lost your memory about a year ago, you stayed here in Kakariko. With Gorons. And you seemed perfectly fine with them."

Ilia nodded slowly. "Like I said, I'm not scared of them. I know they're nice, but they're so big and sometimes a bit forceful. I remember when a few of them tried to hug me even when I very blatantly refused!" She huffed indignantly and tossed her hair.

Link chuckled. "Really? Well, let's go somewhere safer before they hug you to death."

She smiled at him. "Yes, let's." She turned to leave, but just then Mayor Bo's voice rang above the crowd.

"Princess!"

Link frowned. _Princess? What? _He spun on his heel to face the entrance of Kakariko, only to see a very disheveled-looking Princess Zelda hobbling into the village, leaning heavily on none other than Ashei. Link and Ashei shared a glance - an angry glance. He'd talk to her about his stolen Light Shell later, but for the moment, it looked like the Princess was in dire need of nourishment. He was glad that she seemed to be safe, though.

Zelda lifted her blue eyes to his, and she gave him a weak smile. Her eyes were so dull and full of exhaustion that it surprised him. What had happened to her? Of course her kingdom had been taken over by a foreign princess, but when Hyrule had been plunged into Twilight more than a year prior, she hadn't looked half as fragile.

Ashei and the Princess paused in front of the large crowd of onlookers. She cleared her throat before she called out, "Princess Zelda needs a feast, and some good rest. If someone can show her to a nice, cozy room, I can help with anything you guys need."

Zelda took a deep, shaky breath. "No, she is injured. I would like her wound to be tended to. She requires rest just as much as I do." Ashei was wounded? Link sighed heavily. He supposed he'd let her heal a bit before he spoke to her about the issue of the Light Shell.

Renado quickly stepped forward and investigated Ashei's side. He frowned. "It needs to be properly dressed. Why haven't you taken care of it?"

Ashei tilted her head. "I didn't have time to. Princess Zelda's health is more important than mine, yeah?"

Zelda shook her head. "Of course not. I see you as my equal, and I thank you for aiding me in my time of need." Despite her weak, shaking frame, she managed to stand up straight and bow to Ashei. Ashei looked quite flattered, and she smiled.

"Um, thanks, princess."

Renado's daughter, Luda, stepped forward from the crowd. "Princess Zelda?" She bowed her head. "It's an honor to meet you. Please, this way. I'll give you the softest bed we have."

"Thank you for your hospitality. I am in your debt," Zelda said sweetly as she followed Luda toward the Kakariko Inn. Once again the Princess sent a weak smile in Link's direction, and this time he forced himself to smile back, despite the fact that he didn't feel like smiling at all. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Renado leading Ashei away into his healing sanctuary.

"That was rather... eventful," Ilia said quietly, clasping her hands in front of her. "I can't believe the Princess is here! She looked so awful! Is she going to be all right?" She stared in the direction of the inn, a look of concern on her face.

Link tried to shrug. "She's strong. I'm sure she'll make it out all right, especially with the help of Renado." He looked over to her. "Come on. Let's go find some food."

"All you can think about is food? Really, Link?" Ilia glared harshly at him, and he smiled.

"Can't blame me. I've been living off jerky and scant rations of dried fruit for the past few days." He sighed. "Maybe we should wait for the feast in honor of Princess Zelda, though."

Ilia nodded. "That sounds like the best idea." She glanced up toward the sky, darkening with the oncoming night. The purple clouds of twilight drifted across the vast orange expanse, and Link sighed quietly to himself, once again remembering the Twilight Realm. He tried to push the memories away from his mind as Ilia continued speaking. "I really hope it's safe here. I don't want to see any more fighting, ever again. I hate all of this. I thought everything had gone back to being peaceful again. I..." She trailed off, and Link noticed tears brimming in her eyes. She quickly blinked them away. "Let's get inside."

* * *

The Gorons, Ordonians, and Luda all gathered together to prepare the best feast they possibly could within a short window of time. Strange weeds had been grilled and served with fried cucco; odd, spiky fruits had been sliced open to reveal a delicious, soft pink core; dark and tough yet delicious bread had been baked; pale green herbs had been boiled into tea. Although the Gorons usually only ate rocks, they had helped to prepare the meal by slicing up the spiky fruits and finding the herbs to boil into the tea. The Ordonians had done most of the cooking, but Luda had baked multiple loaves of the delicious bread. Princess Zelda thanked the people for their efforts and very obviously tried hard not to scarf down her food.

Link tried not to eat until he absolutely had to, since he knew that the others needed the food more than he did. He had desperately wanted to eat some of the food once the feast was finished being prepared, but now that he looked at it, the food sitting atop the tables seemed sadly scarce. He allowed the Princess to get two full servings of food and didn't get any for himself. His stomach growled pathetically.

Ilia nudged him gently as she stuffed some bread into her mouth. "What are you waiting for? Go eat something. It's all delicious." She grabbed a bit of the pink fruit and pushed it into his face. "Try it!"

"But -" The moment he opened his mouth, Ilia stuffed the fruit into it and smiled. Link chewed and swallowed, and then decided that it couldn't hurt to help himself to a few servings of food. He quickly grabbed a plate and heaped it with fried cucco, bread, and the juicy pink fruit. Then he devoured it without restraint, while Ilia giggled in the background.

"Slow down a bit! You're going to get a stomachache."

Link heaped his plate with a second serving of food and finished it before sitting on the ground near the spring with a content sigh. Although the moon was high in the sky, people and Gorons still loitered in the streets, talking and laughing and eating. Princess Zelda was sitting in a soft chair in the middle of the dusty street and simply smiling at the liveliness around her. She already looked a lot better.

Ilia pressed a cup of tea into Link's hands. "Drink it. I think it's supposed to help get rid of stomachaches."

Link frowned. "I don't have a stomachache."

"With how much food you practically inhaled, you're going to have one soon." She put her hands on her hips and huffed. "Just drink it."

He quietly sipped at the tea as she had instructed, and looked up into the starry night sky. Kakariko was noisier than he had ever heard it before. Ilia sat by his side in front of the Spring of the Spirit Eldin, and looked up at the stars. Epona slowly plodded up behind them and nuzzled both their shoulders. Ilia laughed and gently stroked the mare's nose, while Link smiled and took another sip of his tea. He had forgotten how wonderful peace could be, and the thought that he'd eventually have to fight to take back Castle Town filled him with a sharp sense of dread.

But who said he would have to fight? Was it really necessary? He swallowed hard at the awful memory of killing the Tenrian men that had invaded Faron Woods. He still felt terrible about taking _human _lives, and he certainly wasn't looking forward to doing it again. And besides, once Princess Zelda got her strength back, she would certainly return to her castle and fight to reclaim it. And she would be accompanied by Rusl and Ashei, and maybe even a few other allies. Why did they need Link along on the journey? For all he cared, he could stay in Kakariko with the Ordonians while the others went off to fight.

He chided himself for such a horrible thought. Of course he couldn't do that. He peeled off the fingerless glove on his left hand and stared at the mark of the Triforce there. The Goddesses had given him the Triforce of Courage for a reason, and he couldn't possibly disobey Their will by sitting around in Kakariko like a lazy pig. Besides, he always took peace for granted - he'd wish for it, but the moment he got it, he'd start feeling restless and wouldn't be able to stay put. He sighed heavily.

Ilia looked over to him. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Link quickly replaced his fingerless glove. "Nothing."

And then a figure was towering over him, her hands on her hips. "Nothing, huh? Well, if you're not busy, then we can talk, yeah?"

Link tried not to frown, and instead he forced himself to be patient. "Hello, Ashei."

She huffed. "You just left me to go to Castle Town on my own! I still remember what the Spirit Lanayru said to me - he told me we needed to stick together, or something like that, anyway." She made a frustrated gesture. "So why'd you up and leave?"

"My home was burning to the ground." Link's eyes hardened and he stood up to face her - though she stood a few inches taller than him. "I couldn't just leave it."

Ashei sighed. "Look, I understand, I really do. But Castle Town's important too, wouldn't you say?" She tilted her head. "See, your people are fine, but the people in Castle Town, not so much. They need our help. Our Princess needs our help to reclaim her throne!"

"I know that, and I'll gladly help her." He narrowed his eyes, his patience wearing thin. "But I'll need my Light Shell back."

Ashei shook her head. "I don't know if I can trust you with it. You might run off and use it for something irrational."

"And how do I know _you_ won't use it rashly, then?" His eyes were cold - he couldn't _believe _Ashei! She didn't seem to care that the village he'd grown up in had simply burned to the ground!

Ilia quickly stood up and pushed her way between the two. Link had completely forgotten she was there. With a tenuous smile, she said, "I have no idea what you're arguing about, but isn't it best to stop? We don't need contentions in a time like this, right?"

Link sighed. _I have to admit, she's right,_ he thought glumly to himself. He looked away for a moment, took a few deep breaths, and raised his eyes to meet Ashei's. "How's your wound?"

She seemed eager to accept the change of subject, and she shrugged. "It'll be fine. The shaman - Renado, I think? - doesn't want me moving around, but I can't just stay bedridden." She paused for a moment and lightly bit her lip. "Look, Link, I'm sorry. I just felt that Castle Town needed me... and the Light Shell. So I took it and ran."

Link nodded. He held still for a moment, staring at her, desperately trying to swallow an immense amount of pride. After a moment of very awkward silence between them - made even more uncomfortable with Ilia looking expectantly at him - he managed to say it. "I'm sorry too."

Ilia smiled widely. "Isn't that so much better? Now, I have no idea what you're talking about - a Light Shell? What? But I'd like to meet you." She turned toward Ashei. "I'm Ilia."

"Ashei." She nodded abruptly, then looked at Link again. "I still have your Light Shell, by the way."

Link resisted the urge to demand that she give it back.

Ashei continued, "And I'll give it to you in the morning. I promise. But I left your pouch back in the sanctuary, and to be honest with you, I need some sleep. You should get some rest too, yeah?" She shifted her weight and stood there awkwardly for a moment before she turned away. "See you in the morning."

Once she was gone, Ilia frowned and turned to Link. "She's... interesting. What's a Light Shell, by the way...?"

Link didn't reply - he was too tired to. He fought back a yawn.

Ilia looked toward the healing sanctuary with a sigh. "Oh, never mind... Come on, Link. Everyone else has been healed except you. I put some salve on you, but it'll be nice to have a real doctor see to you." She looked down at her feet with sad eyes and clasped her hands together. "I know you'll probably be leaving soon, so why don't you get taken care of before you go?"

Link looked at her for a moment before he gave her a comforting smile. "I intend to leave, yes, but I'll make sure to be safe. I just wanted to make sure you were okay before I left."

Ilia smiled sadly. "Thanks." Her eyes looked a bit wet - and, obviously embarrassed about this fact, Ilia whirled away from him and began to stroke Epona's neck. "Take care of him like you always do, all right, Epona?"

Epona tossed her head as if nodding in agreement.

* * *

Link was awake before the sun rose - although he was exhausted, for some reason he found that he couldn't sleep. Renado had tended to his wounds during the night, chiding him for managing to get himself so injured. But as soon as Renado had finished treating him, Link had quietly slipped out of the healing sanctuary and into the darkness of the night. The Gorons were still faithfully patrolling the streets.

When the sun finally poked its head over the horizon, Princess Zelda stepped out of the inn and gazed up at the sky. She watched as the sun crawled over the mountains and painted the sky around it a brilliant blue. She looked much healthier already, though she was still unusually thin.

The Princess glanced in Link's direction, and when she saw him, she nodded at him in greeting before she made her way over to him. "Link. It is good to see you again."

"Your Highness." He bowed his head, and she smiled.

"There is no need for such formalities. You may call me Zelda." Her smile dropped, and she lowered her gaze. "Is it true? Did your village burn?"

Link sighed heavily. The pain of Ordon being destroyed was still fresh, and he preferred not to talk about it. Still, he didn't want to ignore the Princess herself. "Yes. It was attacked by bulblins."

"I am truly sorry. I wish you and your people only the best." She placed a hand over her heart and respectfully bowed her head to him.

Wanting to change the subject, Link said, "So are you staying here or going back to Castle Town?" He had assumed she would return to reclaim her throne, but she still looked weak, and she might prefer to rest for a while longer.

Zelda lifted her eyes, and they were filled with sudden ferocity. "I will return. I must redeem myself and save my people from their awful fate. It is my fault that Hyrule Castle Town is suffering, and I blame only myself."

Link paused and shifted his weight. "So... Rusl told me something about a treaty?"

"Yes." Grief flashed across Zelda's features, but she quickly disguised it. "Hyrule has been isolated and withdrawn for many years, and I decided that it was time to associate with other kingdoms. Tenrya was the kingdom I turned to, and I asked to create a trade treaty with its princess, Ameia. She left one of her lords in charge of her throne and traveled to Hyrule, attended by her counselor, Divith, and a large escort of guards."

Divith? What an interesting name. Link frowned. "But how did she manage to take your throne?"

"She caught me off-guard. I had been retiring to my chambers for the night, accompanied by only one guard. Three of her guards ambushed us, killed my escort, and chained me to my own bed." She smiled bitterly. "I was a fool. I should have known that there was something suspicious about a foreign princess who insisted on being accompanied by far too many guards."

"But your soldiers?" Link asked. "Shouldn't they have freed you? Shouldn't they have done something?"

Zelda shook her head. "Princess Ameia held a knife to my throat and demanded that the entire army of Hyrule surrender to her, or else she would slowly and painfully saw my head off with naught but that little knife."

Link raised his brows. Ameia sounded creepy.

Zelda continued, "My soldiers practically tripped over each other in their haste to surrender. I know not what Ameia did to them, but I can only presume that she was not merciful." She grimaced. "I apologize for telling you such dark, troubling things."

"It's fine. I asked." Link stared off into the distance instead of meeting Princess Zelda's eyes. He didn't know what else to say to her - in a way, he felt almost uncomfortable around her. When a silence stretched between them, it didn't feel like a companionable one, just an awkward one. But that uncomfortable feeling might have been nothing more than Link's dread to return to Castle Town.

And as he stared off toward the entrance of Kakariko Village, he noticed a Goron atop the rock pass, narrowing his eyes and staring off into the distance, intently focused on something. Then the Goron's eyes widened, and he turned toward the village to yell, "Bulblins!"


	10. Chapter Nine

**A/N: Wooo... So here's another chapter. xD Hope you guys enjoy it! ...Actually, I've been having a bit of writer's block for this fanfic, so some of my chapters are coming along really slowly. Hopefully this stupid writer's block won't damage my updating schedule, but we'll see how things go. As usual, feel free to critique, and thanks for sticking with me! ^^;**

* * *

Bulblins. What an awful word.

At that one word, the entire village spiraled into panic. People rushed into the nearest buildings and locked the doors as quickly as they could. Zelda stumbled backward in fear, as if she were unsure of whether or not she should stay and fight, but Link stood his ground and drew his sword.

Zelda drew a deep, shaky breath. "Link. Please, lend me your bow and arrows."

He glanced over his shoulder at her, then quickly slipped his bow off his shoulder along with his quiver of arrows, and handed them to her. The princess accepted them with slightly trembling hands.

Gorons were gathering at the entrance of Kakariko, clenching their huge hands into fists. Then came a terrible moment of complete silence - Link held his sword ready to fight; Zelda had an arrow nocked to her bow and readied herself to draw and aim; the Gorons stood in the Kakariko pass like a stubborn wall of rock. The enemies were mounted on the backs of their large boars; others were on foot. They held bows and arrows and clubs and swords. And then they attacked.

A mounted bulblin charged forward, and a Goron met it head-on, punching the boar right in the face. The creature squealed and crashed to the ground, throwing its rider off its back. The bulblin fell face-first into the dirt, and the moment it tried to stand up again, Zelda aimed and shot at it. It fell with a garbled screech.

The sounds of battle echoed across the tall cliff walls surrounding Kakariko Village. The Gorons stood their ground, punching any enemies that dared to come too close to them. The bulblins tried to shoot the Gorons, but they'd simply shield their bodies with their rocky arms, and the arrows would harmlessly ricochet onto the ground. Link was beginning to feel restless - he wasn't even doing anything. The Gorons were doing all the work for him.

And then three bulblins somehow managed to slip past the defenses of the Gorons. Bulblins had already burned down Ordon, and Link wasn't going to let them do the same to Kakariko Village. He rushed forward, sword poised to attack the bulblin directly in front of him, but another one of them got in his way, garbling its nonsense at him. Without hesitation, Link sliced the bulblin's head off, and it rolled onto the ground as the body slowly collapsed into a heap. Then he stabbed the bulblin behind it through the chest, and the creature fell with a pained wail. Zelda nocked an arrow to her bow, drew the string to her cheek, and shot the third bulblin in the throat.

Link quickly lifted his eyes to scan the remaining bulblins, but there were only a few more, and they were quickly and effortlessly being dispatched by the Gorons. Only when all of their enemies had fallen lifeless to the earth did the Gorons rest. They took a few steps back, flicked blood off their hands, and turned away from the scene of battle. The corpses of bulblins and their boars littered the ground.

"All right, where are the rest of them?" yelled an angry female voice from behind Link. He turned to face the source of the voice, only to see Ashei standing there, sword in hand, her eyes narrowed. She scanned the carnage in front of her and frowned. "Are they all gone?" She tilted her head. "I was too late."

Link sheathed his sword and breathed a long, heavy sigh. Zelda stepped up beside him and pressed his bow back into his hands. He slung it over his back as Zelda pulled the quiver of arrows off her shoulder and passed it to him.

Ashei huffed and put her hands on her hips. "Well, at least Kakariko's safe, yeah?" She motioned to the mess of corpses scattered across the ground. "And since that's finished, don't you both think we should head to Castle Town?" She looked between Link and Zelda.

The princess looked at Link for a moment, and then she turned to face Ashei. "I would love to return to my people and free them from their misery, but I fear that I have not yet recovered my strength. I am not confident in my ability to fight as of yet." She lowered her eyes. "I apologize, Ashei, but I do not think you should leave yet either. You are still wounded. I believe we should all stay and heal before we rashly venture to Hyrule Castle Town."

Ashei frowned. From the look on her face, she was obviously displeased about waiting around, but she didn't voice her feelings. Instead, she paused for a moment before she finally said, "Yeah, all right... but as long as we get to leave tomorrow."

Zelda nodded. "Of course." Link could see frustration boiling in her eyes, but she seemed to be trying to hide it. When Ashei turned and walked away, Zelda looked over at Link. "I am displeased with this situation. I wish to return to my people and reclaim my throne that I so foolishly lost, but I cannot. I am too weak. I know that if I were to march into my castle in my current state, I would only be captured again - or perhaps even executed. It is far too unwise to attack when we are all so weak. It would present us with a harsh disadvantage."

Link looked up at her and tried to smile. "We'll rest for a day, then, and we'll leave tomorrow, like you said."

She squared her shoulders. "Yes. We will." She stared at him for a moment, as if she wanted to say something else, but then she turned on her heel and left without another word.

Once she was gone, Link anxiously ran his hands through his hair. The princess was right - they were too weak to do anything at the moment, and they were probably going to be too weak to do anything tomorrow, too. They lacked an army. How were they possibly going to attack the Tenrian guards that had overtaken Hyrule Castle? Rusl had said that the enemy was probably short-handed, so at least they had that to their advantage - but what about the bulblins? There were plenty of bulblins guarding Castle Town. It would be difficult to fight all of them with the very few numbers they had. Link supposed they could ask the Gorons for help, but he couldn't do that. They needed to stay to guard not only Kakariko Village, but their home in Death Mountain as well. What about the Zoras? Could they help? It was worth a try to ask them for their aid. Link decided that he'd tell Princess Zelda about it later.

But for the moment, Link was hungry and tired, so he set off in search of food.

* * *

The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully. The people remained huddled inside buildings for most of the day, and Kakariko felt almost dead and empty save for the Gorons still gathered in the streets and atop the cliff walls. When the sun finally rose the next day, some of the people decided to venture outside. Link sat in the cool, refreshing Spring of Eldin, with Epona lazily chewing at his hat. He didn't bother to swat her away - instead he closed his eyes and leaned back into the water, letting it swirl around his head. Epona still didn't relinquish her hold on his hat.

And then Ilia was standing over him, a grin on her face. "What in the world are you doing?" she asked with a small laugh. She gently pushed Epona's mouth away from Link's hat. "That's not grass, silly girl!" she cooed, patting the mare's nose. Epona snorted.

Link smiled, and forced himself to sit up, despite the fact that he didn't really want to. "Morning."

"Hi, Link," she said in reply, sitting down in the spring beside him. "Epona seems kind of anxious."

Link's smile vanished. "Of course she is. Aren't we all?"

Ilia shifted uncomfortably. "Well... Yes. Especially after the attack lately." She shrugged. "But the Gorons are strong. They'll be able to protect us, right? I think everyone feels much safer here." She glanced up at him for a moment before averting her eyes. "So... are you going to stay here?"

"I wish." Link leaned back and stared up at the bright blue sky.

"You could stay... I suppose..."

He shook his head. "I can fight. I'd be a useless fool if I didn't go with the others to take back Hyrule Castle."

Ilia frowned and stared down at the clear water gently lapping at her feet and legs. "I talked to Rusl about what happened. He told me about the treaty Princess Zelda tried to make. The poor princess, being betrayed like that!" She sighed. "It's noble of you to help her take back her throne." She tried to smile. "You're right, you can't stay. But don't worry about us here in Kakariko. We'll be fine."

Link didn't reply. He wasn't quite sure what to say, and sometimes he preferred silence anyway. And the silence that passed between them then wasn't an uncomfortable one. He and Ilia had been friends for years, and he didn't mind being in her company, even if they weren't saying anything to each other. She seemed to feel the same way, since she didn't ask him any questions or say anything else to him. Link closed his eyes, soaking up the warmth of the air and the coolness of the water. Epona nickered softly behind him.

"Link." It wasn't Ilia's voice. He opened his eyes, only to see the princess herself standing over him, a sword sheathed at her hip. Ilia scrambled to her feet and bowed low.

"Princess Zelda!" she said excitedly.

Zelda smiled. "Please, there is no need to be so formal. You may call me Zelda. What is your name?"

"Ilia," she said quickly, bowing again, despite the fact that it was obvious Zelda didn't want her to. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise," said Zelda in her calm, smooth voice. She looked much more lively and healthy than she had a couple days ago. She looked at Link with a smile, and he quickly got to his feet to face her, though she stood a few inches taller than him. "Link. Are you prepared to leave?" she asked.

He gave a single nod. _I'm as ready as I'll ever be, I guess, _he thought to himself, despite the fact that he really didn't want to go anywhere. It was a strange feeling - on one hand, he was anxious to make himself useful, but on the other hand, he wanted to laze about and do nothing at all.

Zelda turned to Ilia and respectfully bowed her head, which seemed to surprise Ilia. She hastily bowed in return. "I wish you and your people the best," Zelda said. "I hope that we meet again."

Ilia smiled. "Of course we'll meet again. You'll reclaim your throne, princess, I know it." She bowed her head for what seemed like the millionth time, which seemed to amuse Zelda, and she only nodded in reply.

Then Ashei and Rusl appeared behind Zelda. Ashei tilted her head. "This is all of us? Well then, let's go. The sooner we go, the better, yeah?"

"Are we all prepared for the journey?" Rusl asked. "I've got plenty of jerky and dried fruits, but you'll all need your own."

"Renado packed me some food," Ashei said simply, then looked between Princess Zelda and Link. "He told me to give you these." She handed them one bulging sack each, probably filled with food. Link didn't bother to look inside of it - instead he turned to Epona's side and packed the sack of food into her saddlebags. Ashei continued, "Sorry it isn't a royal feast, princess, but we'll have to deal with it on this journey. We can always eat better when all of this is over, yeah?" She shrugged.

Zelda didn't reply. Instead, she tied the sack of food to the sash at her hip near her sword.

"Oh, and Link?" Ashei took a step closer and whispered to him, "Sorry I didn't return this yesterday." She passed his pouch to him, and he eagerly accepted it. "The Light Shell's in there. I haven't told the others about it yet. I don't really know what to say about it, but I'm sure we can explain it at some point, yeah?"

Link smiled at her in thanks.

Rusl folded his arms across his chest. "Well, since we're all ready, let's go."

Ilia looked at Rusl for a moment, and then she turned to stare at Link. She clasped her hands in front of her and frowned. "I hope you'll all be safe," she said, but her words seemed more directed to Link than anyone else. He looked at her and tried a smile, but he didn't say anything in reply. He didn't really want to. He hated goodbyes.

Ilia bit her lip and continued, "It's wonderful of you to help the princess like this, but please keep yourself alive. I'm so sick of you leaving me so often... so just promise to come back, okay?"

Link looked down at his shoes and stared at them for a long time, his shoulders sagging. Poor Ilia - she must have worried so much for him each time he ventured off into Hyrule. "I'll be okay," he finally replied with a heavy sigh. "Stay here and keep yourself safe too, all right?"

She nodded and tried to smile. Then she patted Epona's neck, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "Bye, Epona," she said quietly. "Make sure that Link doesn't do anything stupid." The mare tossed her head in return.

Ashei shifted her weight and grumbled impatiently. "So, if we're done with all the long goodbyes, we can go now, right?"

Rusl huffed at her. "Ashei..."

"Sorry," she said reluctantly.

Suddenly looking embarrassed, Ilia retreated a few steps and averted her eyes from the group of people in front of her. Link tried to smile comfortingly at her, and she looked up for a moment to return his smile before looking back down at her feet again.

Link gently directed Epona away from Kakariko Spring and toward the vast expanse of Hyrule Field, with Zelda, Ashei, and Rusl in tow. Link desperately tried not to think about how pathetically outnumbered they were and how hopeless he felt. Instead, he squared his shoulders and looked ahead to face the world.

* * *

The candles were out. The curtains were drawn. The room was nearly pitch black.

Ameia pointed to the shadows surrounding her and made a series of complicated motions with her hands and fingers. The shadows moved to obey her every beck and call, and she formed them into the shape of a hard, domed shield around her person. "Attack me," she demanded.

A bulky, green-skinned figure stood in the corner - King Bulblin. He and his people - if they could even be called such - had been Princess Ameia's faithful followers ever since they had seen her perform a small feat of dark magic. But she was so much more powerful with the wonderful Dark Crystal in her possession. When King Bulblin had seen her increase of magical strength, he had pledged his utter, unfailing loyalty to her, promising her that he "followed the strongest side". And Ameia intended to remain the strongest until she drew her last breath; if she was lucky, she'd discover the secret of immortality and be blessed to continue breathing for eternity.

When King Bulblin didn't move, Ameia demanded again, "Attack me!"

He only hesitated a moment longer before he stepped forward, dragging his enormous weapon with him. He lifted it into the air and brought it crashing down onto the shadowy shield that swirled around her. A horrible, screeching _clang _resounded through the room. The shield cracked but did not shatter, and Ameia giggled with delight. "It works! I made a shield, I made a shield!" She dropped the shadowy shield from around her and grinned. "Look how powerful I am. You'll never find anyone stronger."

King Bulblin grunted in agreement, then turned to leave without asking Ameia's permission. She scowled at this, and she would have reprimanded him, but she was in a good mood. She felt stronger than ever before, and she beamed with joy at the thought that nobody would ever be able to defeat her. She clutched the Dark Crystal in her hands, reveling in the feeling of power coursing through her.

Then the door opened, and Counselor Divith swept into the room. "It is far too dark in here. I fear for your health. Would you like me to light a candle or two, Your Highness?"

"Still haven't learned how to knock, I see?" Ameia huffed. She curled her hand into a fist and rapped it quickly onto the table. "There. I just knocked. It's easy - you try it!"

Divith ignored her sarcasm and drew back the heavy curtains in front of the window. The dark pink light of twilight spilled into the room, casting a beautiful cobweb of shadows onto the floor. With the Dark Crystal in her hands, Ameia stared at the shadowy design on the floor, a strange feeling pulsing through her veins.

With the crystal still pressed into her palm, the Tenrian Princess reached out toward the twilight shadows and flicked her wrist. The shadows curled upward, reaching spindly fingers toward the ceiling. She spun her finger; the shadows swirled into a dark circle. And then, in a finishing sweep of her hand, the swirling darkness flashed a dark pink; for only a fleeting moment, it showed the image of a strange building pointing toward a dark sky.

Ameia's breath caught in her throat. The swirling mass of shadows in front of her was a new magic she didn't recognize, but it felt beautiful and powerful. She impulsively reached forward and pressed her hand into it. Her hand passed through the dark mass and was greeted with a shock of cold. With a sharp gasp, Ameia withdrew her hand and dropped the Dark Crystal. Instinctively, she knew what the mass of swirling shadows was - a portal. She knew not to where it led, but she wanted to find out.

Divith stared warily at the portal, his eyes narrowed. "Your Majesty, that looks quite dangerous. What is it?" He frowned as she took a step toward it. "That's not advisable... Highness, please, be careful. We don't know what it is."

"I know what it is, Divith," she snapped. "It's a portal. Let me go inside."

"What if you never return? Your people need you."

Ameia hesitated. What if he was right? What if the portal led to a terrible world she could never return from? No. It wouldn't be like that - especially if she had her beloved Crystal with her. She bent down to pick up the Dark Crystal from the place she had dropped it on the ground, and she advanced toward the portal.

Divith quickly drew the curtains, blocking out the pink twilight. The room plunged into blackness once more, and the portal dissolved into the shadows. Ameia's eyes widened in rage, and she whirled to face her counselor. "Open those curtains before I make you vomit blood." Her eyes glowed with anger, and her fists were clenched around her crystal. She had found a portal, and she intended to see what was on the other side of it. Her counselor would pay dearly if he thought he could stop her.

But Divith remained unfazed by her threat. He simply bowed his head. "Majesty, I only wish for your best. I feel that I am protecting you."

"Open the curtains!" Ameia snapped loudly, reaching out a hand toward him. The shadows beneath her feet writhed impatiently on the ground, waiting for her command.

"If you insist," Divith sighed, obviously displeased - but despite the danger of the temperamental Princess Ameia pointing her terrible dark magic straight at him, he seemed impossibly calm. He turned toward the curtains and slowly drew them back.

Moonlight spilled into the room. The pink, dusky light was almost completely gone, and the shadows on the floor were much less dramatic. Ameia copied the exact same hand movements she had made minutes before, but the shadows only leaped around the room in a pointless display of acrobatics. They refused to shape themselves into a portal.

Ameia gritted her teeth. "You little demon," she spat, fixing her horrible glare on Counselor Divith. He calmly clasped his hands behind his back and shrugged. Ameia took a deep breath and continued, her tone icy and dangerously quiet, "I will spare you this once, and I'll try to create the portal again tomorrow at dusk. But the moment you try to interrupt me, I'll impale you with my shadows. Understood?"

Divith stared at her with a displeased frown, and he looked like he was resisting the strong urge to roll his eyes. He raised a brow. "Yes, of course, Your Highness."

"Good." Ameia lifted her chin and gave him a haughty look. "Now leave. I need to improve my shadow magic."


	11. Chapter Ten

**A/N: I'm sorry to have to say this, but I can't update this Friday (it's a really busy week). Sorry guys. D: I promise you that I'll be updating next Tuesday, though, so don't worry about it too much :3**

**Whew... so. Chapter ten already! Just a warning in advance for you guys, things get... a little weird in this chapter and the next ones. xD I _could _delete and re-write them, yes, but I feel like they'd only get weirder if I did that. So... as usual, feel free to critique. If anything at all happens in this story that you dislike, feel free to tell me about it. Thanks again for your continued support! It really does motivate me to write :D ...And that's enough blabbing from me. Here's the next chapter! ^^;**

* * *

Link had allowed Zelda to ride on Epona's back. The princess sat atop the mare and tried to keep her posture straight, but it was obvious she was tired. Link wondered if she had properly healed like she had claimed. The sun slowly sank over the horizon, painting the sky and the surrounding landscape with hues of orange and gold.

Rusl seemed to notice Zelda's exhaustion as well, and he sighed. "Let's stop for the night. If we hurry, we might be able to arrive at Hyrule Castle Town tomorrow."

Ashei frowned. "Shouldn't we keep going? We've procrastinated enough, yeah?"

Rusl shook his head. "If we're all tired when we arrive to Castle Town, then we won't fight well. It would be beneficial to rest so we feel more awake when we have to retake Princess Zelda's throne."

Zelda smiled wearily at him. "I apologize," she said as she climbed off Epona's back. "I truly wish that I could be of more help."

Ashei huffed quietly. "Well... you were chained up and starved for a few days. That would be enough to make anyone tired." She reached into her pockets and pulled out her pouch bulging with food. "Might as well stop and eat." She sat on the ground and began devouring some of her dried meat and fruit.

Rusl set off to find firewood while Zelda ate a bit of her own food. Even sitting on the ground wearing a plain dress and eating commoner's food, she still looked poised and regal. Link remained standing, and kept watch over their surroundings.

Rusl returned a while later with plenty of dry sticks and branches. He started a fire, and everyone huddled around it, except Link, who still kept his eyes on his surroundings. "Link," Rusl said, "get some rest. I'll take first watch."

But Link didn't want to sleep. He was too anxious to. He had gotten plenty of rest in Kakariko Village; he didn't need any more at the moment. He reluctantly sat down by the fire and tried to force himself to sleep whether he liked it or not, but hopeless thoughts kept crowding his mind. He really didn't want to take more lives - he was sick of fighting. Sure, he'd slice bulblins down with hardly a second thought, but bulblins and humans were different. He kept reflecting on the way he'd killed those Tenrian men in Faron Woods, and he dreaded the thought of killing more of them. And besides, Link still had very little hope of retaking Castle Town with the small group they had. He glanced over to Princess Zelda - she was still awake, though barely. "Princess?" he asked.

Zelda blinked wearily and looked over at him. "Yes?"

"Maybe we could ask the Zoras for their help in taking back Castle Town," he suggested.

But Zelda lightly shook her head. "I would prefer to invade the castle with the small group we have now. It would be best to quietly sneak into the castle and take down Princess Ameia. Walking into Castle Town with an army would only cause an uproar and complicate matters."

Link stared blankly at her for a moment, then he sighed. He'd just have to trust that the princess knew what she was doing. He turned away from her and tried to coax himself to fall asleep. It didn't work. He drew his legs to his chest and rested his chin on his knees, watching the fire leap and dance, and he didn't get a moment's sleep.

* * *

As soon as morning came, the group set off again. Even when people occasionally tried to talk to him, Link remained silent. He was too distressed to care about idle conversation. Rusl kept asking Link if he was all right; Link would only give a nod in reply and continue trudging forward.

The sun steadily rose into the sky, encouraging them to move faster. By the time it was early afternoon, they had nearly reached Hyrule Castle Town.

A strange, quiet sound hummed at the edge of Link's hearing. Nobody else seemed to notice it. He furrowed his brow and tried to concentrate on the noise, but he still couldn't hear it very well. "Stop," he commanded.

It was the first word he'd said all day. Everyone immediately obeyed him, giving him curious looks; even Epona held completely still and watched her master intently. Ashei opened her mouth to say something, but Link held up a hand to stop her. He dropped to his knees and pressed his long ear to the ground. Vibrations in the ground assaulted his hearing like thousands of thunderclaps. The sound itself was still a bit quiet, but definitely distinct enough.

The feeling of dread that had weighed on Link's shoulders all that day only grew stronger. The terrible thunderclap-like noises sounded like hundreds - no, thousands - of footsteps. It sounded like an army.

With his heart thumping wildly in his chest, Link quickly got to his feet and looked around the vast expanse of Hyrule Field for a tree. "What is it?" Ashei asked, but Link didn't reply to her. He didn't want to tell her that an army was coming toward them if he was wrong, so he had to double-check. And he desperately hoped that he was indeed wrong. He sprinted toward the nearest tree and nimbly leaped up its branches, climbing as high as he possibly could and scanning his surroundings.

There, on the other side of Hyrule Field, was an entire army. From where he stood on one of the tree's branches, Link was too far away to see any details in their armor, but they appeared Tenrian. His heart leaped violently, then it skipped a beat and seemed to drop into his stomach. Link watched wide-eyed, mesmerized by the terrible scene. There was absolutely no way that he, Rusl, Ashei, and Princess Zelda alone could save Hyrule. They'd need an army of their own... but how could they get one?

The Zoras seemed to be their only hope. But with a horrible sinking feeling, Link realized it was far too late to ask them for help. There was no way they could gather the armies of the Zoras in time - the Tenrians would have already invaded Hyrule by then. And besides, Zoras were slightly clumsy on land; they were much better at fighting in water. They might end up being more of a hindrance than anything.

"Link!" Ashei called up to him, her tone filled with irritation. "Just tell us what you see already, yeah?"

He swallowed. "Armies," he yelled back down to them, "Tenrian armies, marching straight toward Castle Town." He leaped down from the tree and landed lightly on his feet.

A cold, cruel silence fell over the group. Zelda lowered her gaze, a look of hopelessness on her features. "But we cannot stop," she insisted, though she didn't sound convinced of her own words. "We must retake my throne and save my people."

Rusl nodded in agreement. "And we will. We'll go to Castle Town, and we'll spy on our enemy. We'll find all their weaknesses, and we'll burn them to the ground if we have to."

* * *

Princess Ameia had holed herself up in darkness. Again. In between each shadowy spell she cast, she slightly drew back the curtains, just enough to see the sky outside. It was late afternoon, but not yet twilight. She frowned. Why couldn't time pass faster? The strange portal that she had created only the night before could not be recreated in sunlight - she had tried. Apparently only the light of dusk would open the portal.

But what if the portal wouldn't open that evening? What if she only had a one-time chance, and her stupid Counselor Divith had ruined it? She tried not to think about that possibility - instead, she told herself that the portal would absolutely have to appear later that day. She anxiously awaited dusk.

Then a loud knock rang through her room. Ameia turned to face the door - it couldn't possibly be Divith. The fool didn't know how to knock. "You're interrupting my practice," the Tenrian Princess said haughtily, "but if it's important, come inside."

A nervous voice replied on the other side of the door, "I'm quite sure it's important, Your Majesty..."

"Then get inside before I lose patience with you!" Ameia snapped.

One of her guards opened the door and stepped inside her room. He bowed to her, then hurriedly said, "An army is coming right toward us. A Tenrian army."

Ameia grinned. "Ooh! Denlot sent the reinforcements he promised me!" She snapped her fingers at the guard. "Escort me toward the army, right now! I want to meet them head-on and tell them just what I want them to do. I have so many plans to change Hyrule!"

The guard bowed again and led her through the halls of Hyrule Castle and into the courtyard. She stood there for a while, but the army still didn't arrive. Growing impatient, she whirled to face her guard and frowned. "Tell me how long it will take them to come."

"They were still traversing Hyrule Field when I last checked," the guard responded. "It might take them half an hour to get here but nothing more."

Princess Ameia huffed. "Take me to them, then. I will meet them in Hyrule Field if I must." With a sigh, the guard took her away from Hyrule Castle Town and toward the vast fields surrounding it. Her heart skipped with glee when she could hear the thunderous footsteps of the Tenrian army approaching, and she could see them coming ever closer. She stood outside the gates of Castle Town and waited for the soldiers to arrive, a cold smile on her face and her Dark Crystal tucked into the folds of her dress.

Riding at the front of the army on a beautiful white stallion was Lord Denlot himself. He steered his horse toward his princess and dismounted to stand before her. He removed his shining metal helmet and smiled at her, his green eyes bright and excited. "Lord Denlot," Ameia said sweetly, holding out a hand to him. He leaned down to kiss it, his messy blonde hair brushing against her skin in the process. She raised a brow. "You should clean up. You look a little unkempt."

Denlot frowned. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, princess," he said with a slightly irritated tone. "But... as you can see, I've brought you your armies."

"Yes, thank you." Ameia beamed at him. "Now... do me a favor and escort me back to the castle. Such an honor for you!" She turned to the guard that had guided her out to Hyrule Field, and she waved him off. "Well, hurry along! Show the army where they can stay."

The guard bowed to her, then turned and motioned the army away. Hundreds - perhaps even thousands of troops followed him inside Castle Town. Once they were all past the gates, Ameia turned to Lord Denlot and grinned. "There are so many of them. They're perfect. I'll be sure to use them to their fullest extent as thanks to you for bringing them."

Denlot bowed his head. "I'll take you back to the castle, then, princess." He offered an arm to her, and she gladly took it.

As they walked through the busy streets of Castle Town, the Tenrian armies could be heard, shouting and laughing inside many of the recently-abandoned homes. It was noisy and lively - but Denlot took Ameia down a small, deserted alleyway.

Ameia huffed. "The castle is that way. Can you not see?" She pointed to it.

Denlot stopped in his tracks. "I apologize, princess," he said after a pause, gently guiding Ameia further down the alleyway.

"What are you doing?" she demanded irately. He shoved her up against a wall, and she gasped. What was he _doing? _"You imbecile! I can have you beheaded for this! Treat me properly!"

But Lord Denlot grinned. He pressed a hand against her neck, and with his other hand, he drew the sword that hung at his hip. "Remember when I proposed to you all those years ago?"

Ameia spluttered. Why was he bringing this up now? "Let me go!"

"Why did you refuse me?" he demanded, pressing the sword to her chest.

"I don't want to get married! My throne is _mine! _I trusted you enough to care for it in my absence, but I did not want you becoming my husband and taking control of _my _Tenrya!" She shrieked in rage.

"Which is why you're useless to me," Denlot tsked. "If I can't marry into the throne, I'll kill you for it." He smirked. "Oh, and don't try to call for help. The army I brought with me? Every single one of those men are loyal to me and only me. They're sick of you. I'm the better ruler, obviously."

Ameia's eyes widened. He had betrayed her! Lord Denlot had betrayed her! She would kill him for it. She would rip him apart with every ounce of magic she had. She would make him pay. Her eyes glowing with hate, she reached into the folds of her dress and grasped her Dark Crystal.

"Stop. Leave the lady alone." The voice was male - it was relatively quiet, but filled with undeniable power. To Ameia's surprise, Denlot obeyed the voice and glanced over his shoulder to see who was speaking.

It was a man clad in green - he was rather short, but he had a muscular figure and held himself with confidence and strength. He clutched a sword in his left hand. A taller woman stood by his side, with black hair, dark eyes, and the bearing of a warrior. "Link," she said quietly to the man, pointing at the Tenrian Princess, "I saw her a few weeks ago, being escorted toward the castle, surrounded by guards. She's Princess Ameia."

The man - Link - narrowed his eyes. "Never mind, continue," he said to Lord Denlot.

Denlot had no qualms with obeying the strange man. He whirled to face Ameia again, and held a sword to her throat. "I fear that this breath is your last," he said, with a horribly silky, smooth voice. He sounded far too pleased about the whole situation.

But Ameia wouldn't let him hurt her. She flicked her wrist, and the shadows beneath her feet leaped up to obey her will. They knocked Denlot's sword from his hands, then sharpened themselves into dark daggers and rushed for his throat.

Denlot's eyes widened, and he ducked out of the way, desperately grabbing his sword again and holding it up in a defensive stance. "Where did you get this power?" he demanded. "Your magic wasn't half this strong back in Tenrya!"

Ameia grinned - an almost manic grin. Why not show him the source of her power? Why not let him tremble in fear as she showed him how easily she could shred him apart and watch in satisfaction as his blood splattered the walls? She held up her beautiful Dark Crystal, its markings glowing bright red. Denlot only looked confused - but the strange green-clad man's eyes widened. A moment of complete silence followed before Link said darkly, "That's mine. Give it to me."

"Yours?" Ameia laughed shrilly. "So _you're _the man that my emissary stole this from." She waved the Dark Crystal in front of him, and was delighted to see that Denlot stepped back away from it warily. Ameia sighed. "I specifically had to tell him not to kill you, because you might be of use to me later on. I told my emissary to search anyone who knew anything about the Twilight Realm, because I knew _someone _would have this beautiful little crystal." She lifted it to her face to admire it.

Link clenched his fists. "How did you know about my Shadow Crystal?" The woman at his side looked at him in confusion, but he ignored her.

Ameia looked at him. "I'm sure you're familiar with a beast who calls himself King Bulblin..." Link's eyes widened, and she grinned. "I'll take that as a yes. He told me that there was a man in Hyrule who had a dark power from the Twilight Realm itself. It took a while to find you, but my emissary finally succeeded." She frowned and flicked her dark hair over her shoulder. "You might still be of use to me... you could tell me all the wonderful secrets that this _Shadow _Crystal of yours holds. I might just keep you alive. If you're lucky." She grinned.

It was then that Denlot decided to attack again. Ameia quickly stepped back away from him and commanded her shadows to stab at him. They obeyed, and Denlot desperately parried the sword-like shadows with his own blade. While he was distracted, Ameia turned and sprinted away from the alley as fast as she could, but Link stood in her way, pointing his sword toward her. "Out of my way!" she shrieked, but the man wouldn't obey. Glaring wickedly at him, Ameia pointed a finger at him, and her shadows stabbed toward his heart. Link quickly leapt out of their way, and Ameia started running again.

She managed to make it back to Hyrule Castle's courtyard, but she could hear three people following her closely - Lord Denlot, Link, and the other woman that had been with him. "Stop them!" Ameia shrieked as she dashed across the courtyard. The bulblins keeping watch in the courtyard all gave their garbled cries as they nocked arrows to their bows and aimed at the princess's pursuers.

Ameia burst into the castle and slammed the door shut behind her, panting heavily. Before she even had a chance to recover, she called in a breathy, exhausted voice, "Divith!" No response. She rushed through the castle halls again, her heart thumping. Denlot had betrayed her! Who could she even trust anymore? And he had brought an entire army of men loyal to him. That could only mean one thing - he was planning to kill her and take over Hyrule and Tenrya as well, thus claiming two kingdoms as his own in one fell sweep. Well, she wouldn't let it happen. "Divith!" she shrieked again. Why was the castle so empty? Where were all her men?

She heard someone banging on the castle door behind her. She didn't stop to find out who it was. Instead, she desperately ran up the stairs in search of her counselor. Hyrule Castle felt eerie with its completely empty halls and the light of twilight shining in through the windows.

The light of twilight. She had been planning to create the portal again tonight, and now was her chance! She could even use it as an excuse to escape from possible war. She hated wars - there was too much tenuous strategy and boring politics involved. "Divith!" she called one last time, and finally, he stepped out from behind a doorway to stand in front of her.

"Highness? What is the matter?" He looked mildly irritated, but Ameia ignored that fact.

She stopped to regain her breath, her body shaking with exhaustion. She had never run so hard in her life. She was so angry about Denlot's betrayal that she wanted to lash out at someone - anyone. Especially Divith, since he was conveniently right in front of her. But she felt she didn't have time. "Where is everyone?" she snapped. "Why is this place so empty?"

Divith frowned and clasped his hands behind his back. "They are all gone. Your men fled. I think that they were afraid of telling you the truth."

"The truth...?"

Divith nodded. "A few days ago, Princess Zelda escaped. Since you rarely go up to visit the princess anyway, they thought they could get away with not telling you she was gone. And just today, they discovered that a few prisoners had managed to escape from their cells as well. Your men did not want to face you, so they ran instead."

Ameia narrowed her eyes. "Cowards. I'll behead them all," she said darkly. "And you! How could you let them escape? You imbecile! I'll -"

Footsteps echoed up the stairs, and Ameia gasped. "Counselor Divith," she said hurriedly, "take control of things while I'm gone. You want me to be safe, don't you?" He nodded slowly, and she continued, "Then I'm going to escape. Denlot betrayed me! He brought an entire army here to destroy me!" She paused for a moment to seethe. "Take control of the bulblin army and fight them. Make them pay for betraying me. I _will _keep my Tenrian and my Hyrulian throne, and no one can deny me that. Do you understand?"

"Where do you plan to go?" Divith asked.

"Somewhere that isn't any of your business," Ameia snapped. "Don't pester me about it. Go. Now!" Divith turned and hurried down the hallway to obey, all while the footsteps of someone approaching grew louder. Taking a deep, shaky breath and clutching her Shadow Crystal in her hands, Ameia turned toward the light of twilight filtering in through the windows and spinning a dramatic web of shadows across the floor. She was going to make a portal.

* * *

Link and Ashei threw themselves against the door of Hyrule Castle. The door cracked under their weight, and they kept slamming at it. The blonde-haired, green-eyed Tenrian man that had been chasing Princess Ameia had been shot in the leg by a bulblin's arrow, and he had fallen some yards back. Neither Link nor Ashei had stopped to help him - they didn't trust Tenrians; besides, he hadn't been fatally wounded, and it looked like he could take care of himself.

Link slammed his body against the door again, and it finally burst open, its wood splitting at the hinges. Ashei nodded in satisfaction and sprinted inside, Link following close behind her.

They saw Princess Ameia running up a staircase to their left, and they were about to follow her when Rusl and Zelda strode toward them. Zelda had wanted to infiltrate the castle and look for weaknesses in their enemy's defense; Rusl had volunteered to go with her. "We found the others," Rusl said with a grin.

Link looked behind him, only to see Shad, Auru, and Telma standing there, looking worn but grateful that they had escaped. "Well, I'm glad to be out of there," Telma said with a long sigh and a faint smile.

"Where were you?" Ashei asked. "Link and I searched for you guys last time we were in the dungeons, but we couldn't find you." She made a frustrated hand motion.

Rusl sighed. "They were on the very bottom floor of the dungeons, hidden in a rather remote cell."

Ashei frowned. "Oh. Well, I still could have found them if I would have looked hard enough..." She shook her head.

Link looked between Auru, Shad, and Telma. He would have said hello to them, but he didn't have the time. "Ameia went that way," he said, pointing to the staircase. "Let's go." The others nodded their heads, and followed him as he sprinted up the stairs to find the Tenrian Princess.

When they reached the top of the staircase, they saw Ameia standing in front of a window, twirling her hands and fingers in a complicated pattern. The shadows on the floor knotted together in a twirling, circular mass. Seeming to notice their presence, Ameia glanced over her shoulder at them for one moment, and then with a gleeful grin, she stepped through the circle of swirling darkness. For one single moment, a very familiar image flashed onto the face of the shadows - an image of the Twilight Realm. Link's eyes widened. It was a portal. He tripped over his own feet in his desperation to rush toward it.

"Link, wait! It could be dangerous!" Rusl called behind him. But it was too late - Link had already stepped through the portal.


	12. Chapter Eleven

**A/N: Well, here I am again, and thanks sooo much for your reviews! I almost forgot to update... xD; I've been working on a Twilight Princess retelling (they've been done to death, so I feel like I'm kind of jumping on the bandwagon... ehhhh...) and another fanfic that isn't really based on any of the games. ... But you're not here to read my stupid author's notes! :P Anyway, I'm not quite sure how I feel about this chapter. It kind of wrote itself, and because it was really, really stupid, it required a lot of edits. And I am still not sure if it's good. So... just read on, I guess, and tell me what you hate about it. xP**

* * *

The Twilight was colder than usual. It was the first thing Link noticed. Strange but beautiful pastel-pink snow covered every surface in the Twilight, and it was wonderful. It had been so long since Link had been in the Twilight, and he couldn't believe he was back. He missed it terribly. So terribly, in fact, that he didn't even notice Ameia standing there beside him, lifting her hands and curling her fingers into a claw-like position.

At the last moment, he noticed a large ball of shadows rising above his head, and his eyes widened. He rolled out of the way as the ball came crashing down toward him, and Ameia grimaced when she missed. "Hold still!" she growled as she threw the huge, shadowy ball at him. He barely leapt out of the way in time, and watched as the large sphere bounced off the edge of the Twilight and into the dark void below. Huffing in irritation, Ameia commanded the shadows around her to sharpen like swords, and she sent them flying toward Link. He deflected the dark magic with his sword, and rushed at Ameia, aiming his blade toward her chest. She hissed at him and raised her arms above her head, and the shadows beneath her feet lifted up to surround her in a protective barrier. Link's sword plinked harmlessly off her shield.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, he relentlessly stabbed and hacked at the shadowy shield. It didn't even crack. He took a step back and huffed, blowing a lock of hair out of his eyes. _She has to come out eventually, _he thought to himself. _It isn't like she can stay in there all day without food or water. _He held his sword poised to attack, preparing for the moment when she'd drop her defenses.

Ashei came through the portal then, followed by Shad. They stumbled forward for a bit, nearly tripping over each other, and then they regained their balance and looked around with wide open mouths. Link noticed the portal disappearing behind them. "What is this place?" Ashei whispered.

"The Twilight Realm," Shad responded in awe. He grinned. "This is so exciting! I've read about this place as much as I possibly can. Sadly, there isn't much history about this place, so I only know a little bit... Oh, heavens above!" He turned to Ashei, looking far too happy for his own good. "Do you realize what this means? We're in the Twilight! I could learn so much here! This is the opportunity of a lifetime!"

Ashei frowned at him. "I'm glad you're so excited, but... I don't like this place. It feels too dark. And it has a sort of forlorn, cursed feeling to it, don't you think?"

Link glanced between the two of them. "Where are the others?" He still kept his sword directed at Ameia's shield.

Ashei shrugged. "Rusl didn't know where this portal would lead to. For all he knew, it'd drop him off a cliff and kill him. He stayed behind for his family's sake. As for Princess Zelda, she stayed back to watch over her kingdom. She wanted to come, but she felt that she'd forsaken her people enough as is. Auru and Telma stayed back with her, saying they wanted to help her in whatever way they could." She tilted her head and motioned to the surrounding Twilight. "It's just us."

"This is so amazing," Shad breathed, reaching out and attempting to touch one of the strange little black rectangles that always floated up toward the sky. It managed to continue floating upward, just out of his reach.

Link frowned. "Why did you come, then? Weren't you afraid something terrible could happen to you?"

Shad smiled. "There was a portal right in front of me, old boy!" he said excitedly. "As a scholar, I couldn't just pass up the opportunity to venture somewhere foreign and learn something new!"

"And besides, we're fine, aren't we?" Ashei said with a shrug. She paused for a moment and shifted her weight as if she felt uncomfortable, and she looked down at the ground. "Look, Link, ever since I stole your... well. You know. Anyway, you've seemed kind of distant from me ever since, and I really wanted to apologize. I mean... we need to stick together, yeah? So... I'm sorry." She made a frustrated hand motion. "I'm not good at saying these types of things... Ugh."

Shad looked confused, and he stared at Ashei with a raised brow. "You stole something? What are you talking about?"

But Link and Ashei both ignored him. Link looked at Ashei for a long moment, a little bit surprised that she was apologizing to him. He had been acting distant? Maybe due to stress, but nothing else. He wasn't holding a grudge against Ashei for stealing the Light Shell. His lips tilted upward in a small smile. "Thanks," he said after a while. He paused for a moment and opened his mouth to apologize for being so angry at her when she'd stolen the Shell - but he was interrupted.

Suddenly, Ameia's shield dropped. She stood behind a web of sharp shadows, aiming all of them toward Link. "Don't move," she demanded, her eyes glinting with a terrible, gleeful satisfaction. She smirked. "Look how powerful I am. Do you dare challenge that power?" Link held up his sword defensively in reply. "Really?" Ameia huffed. "You're such an idiot. I'm going to kill you whether you brandish your sword at me or not." With a flick of her wrist, the complicated web of shadows surrounding her all rushed at Link, their sharp tips aimed at almost every inch of his body.

And then a giant orange hand slapped the web of shadows away, and the dark magic dissolved harmlessly in the air. Both Ameia and Link immediately whirled to face the source of the giant hand - and there stood Midna herself. She was just as beautiful as Link remembered, but she looked a little different - she was wearing a more casual outfit instead of fancy Twili robes, and in place of an elaborate headdress, she wore a simple silver circlet around her head. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and bunched into a huge fist. Their eyes met for a moment, and she gave him a pained, wistful look. His heart skipped a few beats, and he stared at her for a long while. Was this a dream? He could hardly believe he was seeing Midna again. He wanted so badly to hug her and tell her how much he had missed her, but he couldn't. He looked at her, clenching his jaw as he tried hard to resist the urge to run over to her. She stared at him in return, and he could see her mouth his name, "Link?"

Suddenly Ameia pointed her finger forward, and a dagger of shadow flew toward Midna. Link very nearly leaped forward to protect Midna from it, but she easily slapped it away with her hair. "And who are _you_?" Midna demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

"I was about to ask the same thing," Ameia growled, tightly clutching the Shadow Crystal in her hands. "Get out of my way before I kill you."

Midna rolled her eyes. "Yes, of course. Just _try _to kill me. We'll see how well that goes for you." She waved her hand at Link, Shad, and Ashei. "You might want to move out of the way. This could get messy." She grinned impishly.

Link instantly stumbled backward in obedience, pushing Shad and Ashei out of the way as well. "This is so strange. What's happening?" Shad asked quietly.

"Link? What is this?" Ashei hissed at him, but he shook his head. He didn't trust himself to speak. He was afraid his voice would tremble, and that would be truly pathetic.

He anxiously glanced between Midna and Ameia. The two women glared at each other, their stances defensive and tense. Link was ready to jump into the fight at the moment Midna needed his help, but for now, he stayed back and waited. He knew he would probably only get in the way if he tried to help.

Ameia flicked her wrist, and the shadows beneath her feet curled upward in a menacing scythe. With a manic grin, Ameia sent the giant scythe swooping toward her opponent, and Midna quickly deflected the attack with her hand-hair. She curled her hair into a huge fist and slammed it down toward Ameia, but the Tenrian Princess barely managed to duck out of the way with a shriek. She made a grand swooping gesture with her arms and sent a sharp wall of shadows toward Midna. Midna rolled out of the way just as the shadowy wall swept past her and slammed into the side of the Palace of Twilight, shattering part of the wall and sending debris flying into the air.

Midna pressed her hands together and then pulled them apart again, a glowing red ball of magic floating in the air between her hands. She tossed it toward Ameia, and the Tenrian Princess quickly created another domed shadow shield around herself. Midna's red ball crashed against the shield and exploded in a mess of glowing sparks and electricity. Still Ameia's shield held, but a web of cracks was spread across its surface. Baring her teeth, Midna curled her hair into a fist again and slammed at the shield, over and over again, until it finally shattered.

With a shriek, Ameia ducked out of the way as the shards of her shield flew everywhere. With her hair still curled into a fist, Midna tried to attack Ameia, but she managed to leap out of the way. Each time Ameia dodged an attack, she came closer and closer to the edge of the Palace of Twilight itself. Ameia took one final step backward, and balanced precariously over the edge. With a sharp gasp of surprise, she looked behind her, only to see the dark void yawning beneath her, and she screamed. Midna's hair pressed forward, threatening to push Ameia off the edge, but the Tenrian Princess fell to her knees. "Wait! Stop! Stop, I won't attack you!"

Midna stared at Ameia suspiciously. "Tell me who you are and why you're attacking me," she demanded.

Ameia frowned. "I am the ruler of the kingdom Tenrya, and I expect you to treat me like the princess I am!" She stood up and brushed the snow off the front of her dress, looking absolutely humiliated. "I can't believe you nearly pushed me off the edge. How embarrassing... I swear I'll make you suffer for this, you imbecile."

Midna raised a brow. "I'm a princess too. So... from one princess to the next, let me give you a bit of advice." She clenched her hands into fists. "Don't you dare come to my realm and try to attack it without provocation!"

"I wasn't attacking you, I was attacking him!" She pointed a finger at Link, who defensively held up his sword in case she decided to try and hurt him again.

Midna smirked. "That gives me even _more_ reason to push you off the edge."

Ameia cast a cautious glance toward the Palace of Twilight, then she returned her gaze to Midna. The two women stared at each other for a moment, tension hanging thickly in the air. Suddenly, without another word, Ameia sprinted forward through the pink Twilit snow, rushing toward the Palace of Twilight. Midna yelled out in rage and sent a red ball of magic toward her, but Ameia threw up a shield to block it. The moment the red magic had fizzled out, Ameia dropped her shield and kept running with Midna in tow. "Get back here!" Midna demanded shrilly. Although Ashei and Shad looked thoroughly confused, Link didn't hesitate to hurry after her, kicking up puffs of snow behind him as he ran.

"Link!" Ashei yelled at him. "What are you doing? What's happening? Just tell me something!" But he ignored her - he didn't have time to explain. He was _not _about to allow Ameia to hurt Midna's people - it was his fault that she was here in the Twilight in the first place, and he knew he needed to fix his mistake. He had foolishly allowed his Shadow Crystal to be stolen, and now the horrible Tenrian Princess was misusing it to wreak havoc everywhere she went. It _enraged _him.

Princess Ameia reached the Palace of Twilight, and she tried to push open the door. It wouldn't budge. Growling in frustration, she conjured a spiked shadow ball and used it to bash at the door. Midna managed to reach out her hair and curl it around Ameia's waist, pinning her arms to her sides, but not before the spiked shadow sphere had smashed the door inward. Ameia shouted words of rage and squirmed in Midna's tight grasp, but the giant fist of hair didn't relinquish its hold on her. Finally, Ameia held still - but only for a moment. Then she jerked her head to the side, and a wispy shadow scythe sliced at Midna's hair, completely cutting off two of its large fingers. Midna shrieked and pain and collapsed to the ground, her hair returning to the position of a normal ponytail, while Ameia stumbled into the Palace of Twilight.

Link's eyes widened. Was she all right? "Midna!" He knelt by her side, and Midna looked up at him, the beginnings of tears in her eyes. She gritted her teeth, and he could tell she was trying to hold them back, but to no avail. She burst into sobs, burying her face in his shoulder. His breath caught in his throat, and he felt tears coming to his eyes too, but he refused to let them escape. He shut his eyes tight and took a deep, shuddering breath.

"Link... It's been so long, and now we can't even have a proper reunion."

"It's okay." He gently grasped her shoulders and pulled her to her feet, where she sniffled and tried to keep her emotions in check. Link forced a smile at her. He could hardly believe he was seeing her again - but why did it have to be at such a dire time? Why couldn't they have a proper reunion, as she'd said? Of course, it was all his fault. He gritted his teeth at the thought and quickly said, "Come on, let's hurry." She nodded, and they rushed off into the Palace of Twilight after Princess Ameia.

"What is even going on here?" Shad called out desperately as he and Ashei ran along behind them.

Inside the Palace, Ameia lifted her hands above her head, creating a swirling vortex of shadows around her. The Twili inside the Palace of Twilight screamed and scrambled around in a frenzy as tendrils of shadow shot from the vortex toward them. Some of the Twili didn't escape quickly enough, and the shadows pierced their flesh. Midna's eyes widened with horror. "Stop it - stop it!" she yelled desperately. She created a ball of red magic between her hands and sent it flying toward the swirling mass of shadows, but the vortex completely absorbed the magic, leaving Ameia unharmed.

"Your people are in danger," Ameia called out, practically singing the words. She continued, her tone filled with joy, "I feel so much powerful in this wonderful realm of shadows, and I want it. It's mine. Bow down to me or I'll brutally slaughter every last one of your people!"

"Crazy witch," Ashei muttered, drawing her sword.

Midna's eyes filled with tears again as she looked at the few Twili who had fallen to the ground, unmoving. Her lip trembled, but she proudly lifted her head and straightened her posture. "You cruel monster... I know someday - someday soon - you'll pay for what you've done. I plan to exact full revenge on you. And it will be painful and terrible."

"Hah!" Ameia snorted ungracefully. "Look who's talking! I have absolutely everything under my control, so if you don't bow to me, I'll ruin this place and its inhabitants. I promise it."

Ashei looked at Link and narrowed her eyes. She brandished her sword and hissed quietly, "Come on! Fight with me, Link! Get out your Light Shell and let's get rid of this insane woman!"

The Light Shell! Link nodded his head and began reaching back toward his pouch, but just then, Midna shoved him down onto his knees. She took a deep, shuddering breath and paused. "I'll bow to you... but that's only because I know it'll be temporary." She glared at Ameia with fiery, hateful eyes. Then, after another moment's hesitation, she fell to her knees and bowed.

"Midna, no!" Link said desperately. They could win this fight! They didn't have to bow to Ameia! He could use the Light Shell against her!

"I have to do this," Midna muttered. "I'm sorry. It's for my people." Link gritted his teeth, feeling irritated at her stubbornness. Couldn't she just calm down and let him save her life and her people?

"Midna," he whispered, "wait, I can do something about this." She ignored him, which frustrated him further.

Ashei and Shad bowed down beside him, still looking completely confused and even terrified. Ashei stared at Link. "The Shell," she whispered to him, "c'mon, hurry up! We need it! What's taking you so long?"

The vortex of shadows died down, leaving Ameia standing there with a smirk on her face. Her hair was disheveled and wild; her eyes were wide and filled with hysteria; her hands shook. Link clenched his hands into fists. He needed to get rid of her, and soon. She watched the group with an unfaltering but manic gaze. Trying not to seem suspicious, Link reached slowly back toward his pouch and felt around for the Light Shell as the Tenrian Princess laughed - a terrible, shuddering, insane laugh.

"I knew I was the most powerful sorceress in the world! No - in _all_ worlds! Look at you - you four pathetic people who tried to oppose me. Look how well that worked. What a bunch of strong, brave warriors you are!" She rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to kill any of you... no. I'm going to prove to you that I'm stronger than all of you combined. You worked hard to resist me, and it'd be a shame to give you the peace of death. I'm going to do something much worse than kill you - I'm going to _break _you. I'm going to shatter your souls and scatter their pieces to the wind... followed by the shards of your bones."

Link's fingers grazed across a smooth, hard surface. The Light Shell. His heart hammered in his chest as wrapped his fingers around it - and then Ameia's eyes shot to him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, raising her brows. She seemed unconcerned, but more irritated than anything. He froze as his heart skipped a beat. And in his one moment of hesitation, Ameia conjured a large sphere of shadows and brought it crashing down on his head. Pain burst through his skull, and blackness swam in his vision. No, no, no! He tried hard to fight it, but failed, and collapsed unconscious to the floor.

* * *

Princess Ameia giggled excitedly. She had knocked out each and every one of the fools who dared to oppose her. She had meant to keep some of them alive in case they could be valuable to her, but she no longer had the patience to deal with them for much longer. Instead, she would show them the extent of her powers by torturing them all. They deserved it. Her eyes landed on the man in green - Link, she thought his name was - the one who had been trying to reach into his pouch. What was in there? What had he been trying to get? Surely nothing that could match her splendid power. Still, she was curious. She knelt down beside his unconscious body and untied the pouch from around his belt, then pulled it open and peered inside.

There were a few rupees - nothing of interest. Ameia didn't need such useless trifles as money when she had great power on her side. She continued fishing around in his pouch until she saw something beautiful at the bottom. It was a smooth blue shell with a delicate spiraling pattern and tiny white markings engraved onto its surface. She tried to hold it, but she could feel it resisting her. A talisman of strong magic - light magic, no less. She had no interest in light magic, so she decided to let the man keep his precious little shell.

But wait. What if he used it against her? That was probably what he had been intending to do when he'd first reached into his pouch. Ameia grinned and closed his pouch again, then took it into her hands. She didn't intend to use the shell, but she could certainly keep it away from him.

* * *

**A/N: ...Yeeeeeaaahhhh. The next chapter's even weirder. :/ Also, I have a big problem. xD; I totally ship Link and Midna (/shot) but, just in case anyone who hates that ship is reading this fanfic, I want to try really hard to be respectful to those people and not go crazy with it. So... this is the part where I have writer's block and have no idea what to do. I still have a few chapters written up after this, but I don't like them too much, so we'll just have to see where this silly fanfic goes. Thanks again for sticking with me. You guys are so awesome ^^**


	13. Chapter Twelve

**A/N: Bleeehhh... so another chapter. Sorry I'm ****updating so late today - I was desperately trying to edit this piece of crap chapter. (Trust me, it's... it's okay now, but it was AWFUL before I started editing it.) And I'm still not sure how I feel about it, so as usual, critique harshly if ya feel a need! Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Ashei's head swam. She was lying face-first on a hard floor, wondering where she was and what had happened - and then she remembered. Ameia had knocked them out and promised to torture them later. The memory wasn't an appealing one. Ashei tried to sit up, but her stomach lurched and forced her back onto the ground with a groan.

"Ashei? Are you quite all right?" It was Shad's voice - he sounded shaky and traumatized.

She tried again to sit up, and halfway succeeded. She leaned against the nearest wall and scanned her surroundings. Shad, Ashei, Link, and the strange red-eyed woman with blue skin were all locked behind shadowy bars; however, only Ashei and Shad were conscious. The room was dim; the only light came from a strange web of glowing blue markings on the walls. She noticed a dark silhouette standing in a corner, and she narrowed her eyes at it.

The dark figure stepped forward, and the light of the blue markings on the walls illuminated her face. Ameia - of course. The Tenrian Princess grinned. "So the two of you are awake. I'm just waiting for the other two to wake up, and then we can begin."

Begin? Ashei blinked at her. Begin what? Torture? Probably. "What do you want?" she growled.

Ameia raised a brow. "What do I want? To feel your fear. I want to sense it in the air around me like a thick cloud." She sighed happily and closed her eyes. "I like this realm of shadows - I think it improves my power. Tenrya is a nice kingdom to rule, and Hyrule was fun to take over, but so far, this place is my favorite... And I think I'll keep control of all three kingdoms. I'm powerful enough to, after all!" She grinned and leaned toward the bars, staring at Ashei with triumphant eyes. "I won this little game a long time ago, yet you and your friends fought me anyway. It's really quite irritating, actually... I'll take pleasure in watching your spirits shatter. And maybe your bodies, too."

"You can't make us break," Ashei spat. "We're strong. Try all you want, but you won't get a single scream out of us. We won't let you have that satisfaction." Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Shad squirming uncomfortably at her words. He was obviously afraid - and so was Ashei. But she was determined not to let it show.

Link groaned quietly in the corner, then slowly sat up, his hand pressed to his head. For a moment, he looked around with bleary eyes, but when he saw Ameia, he inhaled sharply and froze. Ashei noticed his hand reaching for his pouch, but it was gone.

His pouch was gone.

Ashei's eyes widened at the realization, and a jolt of fear coursed through her. He had his Light Shell in his pouch, didn't he? Ameia must have taken it! Now what chance did they have to escape? Ashei's entire body felt weak and tired, and she was sure if she tried to run anywhere, she'd just collapse. The small amount of hope Ashei had only moments before completely dissipated. She cast her eyes downward and gritted her teeth.

Ameia giggled. "And one more is awake! Now just for the last one..."

As if on cue, the strange blue-skinned woman sat up. She swayed for a moment, then collapsed against a wall. Link looked at her in concern. "Midna?" he asked tentatively.

Midna took a deep, shaky breath, her chest heaving with the movement. "Owww," she moaned, "she cut my hair..."

In any other circumstance, Ashei would have rolled her eyes and said "it's just hair". But since Midna seemed to have magical hair that could turn into a hand, she decided that it must have hurt to have it cut.

"Yes, I did cut your hair," Ameia said gleefully. Midna's eyes snapped open and locked onto Ameia, and the two women glared at each other for a while. Ameia smirked. "And now that you're all awake, we can begin." Ameia lifted one fist to the bars of the cage and uncurled her fingers. There, lying in her palm, was the Light Shell. While Shad and Midna only looked confused, both Ashei and Link gasped at the same time. Ameia seemed to like their reaction, since she laughed. "Ah, yes, this is yours, isn't it? Well, I have it now, and you're never going to get it back." In her other hand, she clutched the Shadow Crystal, and when she waved it at the shadowy bars, they completely vanished.

Link only hesitated for a moment before he lunged at Ameia, but she summoned a ball of shadow and harshly shoved him backward with it, slamming him against a wall. He sank down against it with a quiet groan.

"See this wonderful Shadow Crystal?" Ameia said sweetly, showing them said Crystal in her other hand. "I'm the only one that can wield it. I'm so special, aren't I?" She smirked. "Everyone else that touches it disintegrates into nothingness. Such a cruel, dark magic, isn't it? I love it." Her voice was positively filled with manic joy, and it made Ashei shudder. Ameia turned to face Ashei with a wide smile. "I'll start with you."

Ashei froze in terror. Where was she supposed to run? She tried to scramble to her feet, but her tired legs gave out from under her, and she fell to the ground again.

"No!" Despite the fact that Link still looked a little dazed, he leaped in front of Ashei. The Shadow Crystal, gripped tightly in Ameia's fingers, pressed into his forehead.

Ashei gasped. He was going to die, wasn't he? She stared at him with a terrible dread gripping her heart, waiting for him to disappear. Instead, the Shadow Crystal sank into his forehead. Ameia stumbled backward, blinking in confusion, her mouth opening and closing again like a beached fish's. "My Crystal!" she squeaked. "What have you done with it?"

Ashei stared. What _had _he done with it? She could hear Shad mumbling in confusion and scrambling into a nearby corner as quickly as he could.

But Link couldn't respond. He shut his eyes tight, and his whole body shook. He groaned and fell to his hands and knees - and then, with an agonized scream, his entire body changed into a beast's.

Ashei stared at him in utter confusion. It had all happened within seconds, but Link was a wolf, standing on all fours, his body quivering with pain. He whimpered quietly, his ears pinned against his skull and his eyes still closed. Ashei was not only confused, but she was also afraid - why was he a beast? Was this some sort of dark omen? Would he try to hurt her? Why did his beast form look so strangely familiar? Her heart raced as she pressed herself against a wall and watched Link as if he would attack her at any second. Midna looked at him with concerned eyes. "Link?" she asked quietly.

His eyes snapped open, making Ashei jump. They glowed with a bestial rage, and Ameia squeaked in fright as she tripped backward in her desperation to get away from the wolf. "G-give my Dark Crystal back!" she demanded, her voice shaking. She flicked her wrist at the wolf, obviously trying to summon her magic - but without her precious Crystal in her hands, the shadows wouldn't obey her.

But the beast didn't listen. He didn't even seem to acknowledge that Ameia had spoken. His lips pulled back in a fierce snarl, revealing rows of dangerously sharp fangs. He crouched, his leg muscles tensed as he prepared to leap. Ameia shrieked and stumbled backward a few more steps, but the beast didn't allow her to escape. He lunged at her, crashing into her chest and slamming her down onto the floor. Ameia's terrified scream was cut short as the wolf sank his sharp fangs deep into her throat. Blood poured from her neck and pooled onto the ground, but even when Ameia's eyes glazed over, the beast didn't let go. With a deep growl in the back of his throat, he shook his kill until more blood spilled from the wound. Only when he was absolutely satisfied that his prey was dead did he withdraw his fangs from her neck.

Ashei, Shad, and Midna stared at the beast in shock. None of them dared move an inch. Ashei realized she was shaking. What had happened to Link? Why was he like this? She opened her mouth to ask plenty of questions, but no words came. And besides, who would answer them?

Midna took a quiet, deep breath, then she whispered, "Link?"

The wolf whirled to face her, his eyes still wide with rage. He bore his fangs and leaped at her, and Midna screamed. "Link, no, it's me! Link! Stop it!" she begged, desperately stumbling away from him.

Ashei's heart skipped a beat. Questions swam through her mind - why was Link a wolf? Why did he want to kill Midna, since she seemed to be his friend? Suddenly, she remembered why the beast looked so familiar. When she and Link had spoken to the Great Fairy, she had shown them an image - an image of a dark beast slaughtering everyone around it. And Ashei remembered the Fairy's words - _"Do not touch the Shadow Crystal. It is corrupted."_

What must have been only hours ago, Link and Ashei had encountered Ameia for the first time, and Link had said something about _his _Shadow Crystal, and apparently Ameia had stolen it. At the time, the conversation had only confused Ashei, but now she thought she was piecing together this odd puzzle. Ashei hadn't known what the Great Fairy's words of warning had meant, but Link had. He knew that the Shadow Crystal apparently turned him into a wolf - though _why,_ Ashei didn't know - and he knew that since the Crystal was corrupted, it would turn him into a mindless beast. But how could he turn back? Was it even possible? Ashei needed to do something, and quickly. Midna was trying her best to flee from the raging wolf, but she was obviously weak and tired, and she couldn't run for long. Ashei tried not to panic - she pushed away her frantic, confused thoughts as she took a deep breath to calm herself. She needed to think clearly... what could she do?

For a moment, a terrible thought crossed Ashei's mind - she might have to kill Link. "No, not an option!" she mumbled to herself under her breath, trying to clear her head. She was horrified, but she couldn't allow herself to be. Her eyes shot to Shad, huddled in a corner and utterly unsure of what to do. "Shad! Stop being useless and help me out, yeah?" Ashei huffed at him desperately, but he only shook his head in terror.

She gritted her teeth. He could be so pathetic sometimes! Her eyes scanned the room as she tried to think of something to do, and her gaze drifted to Ameia's corpse. Her eyes were still wide, and her neck was drenched in blood. Her arms were splayed out beside her, and the Light Shell still sat in one of her open palms. Ashei's eyes brightened with hope. "Hey, you dumb beast! Over here!" she called, scrambling to her feet and waving her arms at the dark wolf. He paid her no heed, but when she kept calling to him, eventually he turned to face her. "Yeah, over here, you brainless oaf!" Ashei yelled again. The beast snarled, and then leaped at her. Ashei hurriedly rolled out of the way, her heart hammering in her chest, and she pulled the Light Shell away from Ameia's still-warm hand. She desperately hoped this would work, but she had a feeling it would.

The beast lunged at Ashei again, and this time, she didn't dodge. She allowed him to crash into her, and as they tumbled to the ground, she pressed the Light Shell to his forehead - and the Shadow Crystal slowly emerged from his head and dropped to the ground. Ashei released a long breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, and she nearly laughed from pure relief as the beast collapsed on his side, and slowly turned back into his Hylian form. The Light Shell dissolved into a pile of white dust beside him.

"Link!" Midna hurried over to him. He didn't stir - and for a moment, Ashei wondered if he was dead. Midna pulled his head into her lap and brushed his hair away from his face. "Link, wake up," she begged.

Now that the immediate threat was gone, more questions swarmed into Ashei's head. How did these two know each other? What in the world was going on here?

Link's eyes slowly fluttered open, and he stared almost unseeingly at Midna.

Midna heaved a long sigh of relief. "Ugh, don't scare me like that," she grumbled. "Are you okay?"

"Mmmphh..." Link tried and failed to sit up. "What did Ameia do to me? Where is she?" His voice was quiet and weak.

Ashei looked at him with a frown. Should she tell him just what had happened? "Well, you... uh... eh." She decided it might be best not to. But how else could she explain the corpse of the Tenrian Princess, lying in her own blood only a couple yards away? And besides, she wanted to ask him all the questions swirling though her mind - questions about why he could turn into a wolf, how he knew this strange Midna character, and _what _the Shadow Crystal was. Midna seemed like a close friend of Link's, but for some reason, Ashei was still wary of her. Maybe it was simply the other woman's strange appearance.

Midna smiled. "She didn't do anything. Instead, you did something to her..." Her red eyes drifted to Ameia's corpse, and Link followed her gaze. His eyes widened, and he quickly sat up, despite the fact that he swayed and nearly fell onto Midna's lap again.

"What is that? What happened?" he demanded.

Shad had been cowering in the corner for the entire time. He looked horrified and yet intrigued all at the same time. "You... you were a beast. A rabid beast, Link. How did you do it?" His voice was shaky and filled with wonder.

"A rabid beast?" Link inhaled sharply. "The last thing I remember is Ameia hitting me with the Shadow Crystal... so I turned into a wolf?"

"Yes!" Midna frowned. "I have so many questions for you, Link... Like, how are you in the Twilight again? Who was that woman? Why did the Shadow Crystal turn you into a mindless beast?" Her eyes searched him. "You tried to kill me."

Link looked utterly terrified. His eyes scanned Midna as if checking her for wounds. "I'm so sorry. I... I..." He looked just as confused as Ashei felt. She grunted and tossed her hair over her shoulder, deciding her questions might have to wait.

Midna's eyes softened. "It's all right. It wasn't really _you, _I suppose."

Link remained silent for a long time. He clenched his jaw and looked down, curling his hands into fists. "A mindless beast," he murmured. "I... I was... I nearly..." He mumbled a few more unintelligible things to himself with a haunted look in his eyes. Finally, his expression hardened. "How did I turn back into my natural form?" he asked, still staring down as if afraid to look up and meet the eyes of the people around him.

"I used the Light Shell," Ashei responded.

Link sighed. "I guessed as much," he mumbled.

Shad looked amazed. "What is this Light Shell you speak of? I would love to know more - especially about the topic of your transforming into a wolf, Link. Are you... dangerous at all...?" He chuckled nervously. "I mean, it's obvious that you are, yet at the same time - Oh no, I didn't mean it that way, old chap! I just meant... Well... Er..." He stumbled over his words and nervously wrung his hands, his eyes wide.

Ashei ignored him for the moment and looked at Link, waiting for an answer to Shad's questions, but he didn't give them one. Instead, he shakily ran a hand through his hair and stared down at the floor. Ashei grimaced, deciding not to pressure him about it for the moment, since it was obviously a traumatizing experience for him. "Our problems aren't over yet, even if you killed Ameia," she said quietly to Link.

"I killed..." Link trailed off and shook his head, finally lifting his eyes to meet Ashei's.

She sighed. "When we left Hyrule, it was being flooded by Tenrian armies. We still have a war to take care of." She shook her head. "We should get back to Hyrule as quick as we can, yeah?"

Midna narrowed her eyes. "Link... Care to explain?"

He looked at her sheepishly for a moment, then averted his eyes. "Well... the Shadow Crystal you gave me... one of Ameia's minions stole it from me." He nervously cleared his throat.

Midna narrowed her eyes even further, but said nothing.

Link continued, "I guess Ameia used it to get stronger, and apparently she also used it to create a portal into the Twilight... Oh, and, she took over Hyrule in the process and kind of messed things up." He refused to meet Midna's eyes, and instead, he nervously fidgeted with the hem of his tunic. Ashei didn't know if she'd ever seen him act so... _awkward. _It would have been amusing, actually, if the situation weren't so dire.

Midna rolled her eyes. "It's like I have to babysit you! That's it - no more powerful objects for you. You'll just cause trouble." Link flinched, but Midna smiled sadly at him, her eyes softening. "But, Link... I've done worse, like let Zant take over my throne and turn me into an imp."

"An... imp?" Shad asked, looking utterly bewildered. He obviously didn't understand any of the situation, and neither did Ashei.

Ashei huffed. She couldn't stand to remain without answers for a second longer. "What in the world is happening here? I expect answers, Link! How do you know Midna, and... um." She paused. "Can we trust her?" she whispered.

"Of course you can trust her. I'd trust her with my life," Link replied earnestly.

Ashei blinked. "Okay... but that doesn't answer all the other questions I have. What's the Shadow Crystal? How in the heck do you turn into a wolf, and why? And just... just... I'm so confused."

Link sighed. "I'm sorry, I..." He trailed off and averted his eyes. It was obvious he didn't want to talk about it, so Ashei decided to be nice and stop pestering him for the time being.

"We need to help Zelda get her throne back and drive away all those Tenrian warriors," she mumbled.

Midna looked up at Ashei with a frown. "So Hyrule has been taken over... again. That's depressing."

Ashei sighed. She explained the entire situation to Midna - with a few clarifications from Shad when he thought she was explaining something inadequately - how Princess Ameia had come to Hyrule on the pretense of making a treaty, and things had only gotten worse from there. "And when we left Hyrule, an army of Tenrians had invaded. We need to get back," Ashei finished.

Link got to his feet, and Midna stood up beside him, though she swooned to the side and had to catch herself by leaning against a wall. Her eyes glazed over with pain, and she pressed her lips together in a thin line as if trying to ignore it. "You managed to get yourself in a world of trouble, didn't you? You Hyrulians never seem to get a break." She smiled bitterly. "I really wish I could help you... Maybe I can...?" Her face assumed a thoughtful expression.

"So... can someone please explain to me what in Farore's name is happening here?" Shad said, sounding almost wary, as if he expected the answer to be a terrible one.

Midna looked between the two and gave a small smile. "So, Link, care to introduce me to your friends?" she said, instead of answering Shad.

Link hesitated for a moment. "Right," he sighed. "Midna, this is Shad," he said, motioning to the other man. "And this -"

"Ashei," said she, putting her hands on her hips. "When can we leave?"

Midna took a deep breath. "You'll be needing this to get back to Hyrule, won't you?" She pointed at the Shadow Crystal on the floor, and it slowly floated upward until it levitated in the air above her palm. She peered at it with a critical eye and frowned. "It's so ugly - even more ugly than it used to be when I first gave it to you, Link. Ameia must have polluted it with her shadowy magic."

Link gave a single weak nod. He was obviously still traumatized over his whole experience of turning into a mindless, bloodthirsty creature.

Midna glanced at him for a moment, then returned her gaze to the Crystal floating above her palm. "I... have to speak with my people about something." She looked between Shad, Ashei, and Link with a determined expression. "All of you stay here, all right? I'll be back, I promise. Don't move!" And then she swept out of the room.

* * *

**A/N: Sooo, there ya go, Ameia's gone xD (...And if you're reading this author's note ****before you read the chapter [though I have no idea why you'd do that], shame on you! You just got a huge spoiler for the chapter! :P) Anyway, I had this planned from the moment I started writing this fanfic, because let's be honest, Ameia is kind of stupid and irrational. She's power-hungry to the point of making really stupid choices. It was only a matter of time before that idiocy got her killed. And I've always had this picture in my head of her death being ironic - that the very power she used to ruin a lot of people's lives is the very power that killed her. Don't worry, though, there are a couple more villains to complicate everything :P**

**However... I'm going to be honest here and say that Ameia's death really throws me for a loop. Shoot me for saying this, but I never wanted her to be my _main _villain. Instead, I wanted her to be more of a distraction from the true villain. But... at the same time, killing off this villain that I've put so much build-up behind might just be ruining my fanfic, as well as the addition of Midna. (Yes... I feel like Midna is ruining my fanfic. Goddesses, can't believe I just said that!) As much as I love her, I feel like she might just be needlessly complicating things, and I really don't know what to do. I'm having bad writer's block for chapter 17 of Shadow Boundary, and chapters 13-16 are so ridiculous that I'm having a hard time editing them to make them flow more easily and seem less... I dunno... contrived? All in all, I'm just not sure if I'm satisfied with the direction this is going. :/ With all that said, however, I'm determined to make it work, since I thought I had a great idea and I want to execute it properly.**

**And with that stupidly long author's note out of the way (sorry, just had to get it all off my chest!) what do you guys think? Do you think Ameia's death is going to ruin this fanfic? Is everything just getting ridiculously odd for you now? Are you upset at me or are you just pretty okay with what's going on? :P Feel free to be bluntly honest about it - I can take it :3**

**Thanks again for supporting me!**


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**A/N: I'm just glad you guys are sticking with me through all this insanity. It's about to get crazier, trust me. :P Hopefully you guys enjoy this, though... and, as usual, feel free to tell me if there's something you dislike about this. I'll do my best to fix it if I can. :3**

**...Also, just for clarification, in this chapter, it says the "east" portion of Hyrule. "East" refers to the Wii version, since... that's the version I played... xD; (But if you want to know, I still envision Link as being left-handed because... that's just how he is. :P)**

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Midna stepped into her throne room and looked around at the Twili gathered there. A few guards stood at the doors and along the walls, and the members of her council sat in front of her. "Your Highness - Midna! Are you all right?" one of the council members asked frantically, a pink-eyed Twili woman with yellow markings on her cheeks. Her name was Seila, and she had been Midna's close friend for a long time.

Midna smiled and sank down into her throne, crossing her legs. "I'm fine! I'm glad to see you're all safe, too." She was so glad to be sitting down; although she was reluctant to admit it, she still felt horribly nauseous from when Ameia had cut her hair. She leaned to the side and rested her head on her hand, trying to ignore the dizziness. "So... As some of you saw, a few people from the Light Realm managed to stumble into our world."

A tall Twili councilman frowned. "Princess, I feel I need to say this... You've spoken fondly of the people of the Light Realm in the past." At these words, Midna tried not to blush. Yes, she had spoken fondly of them, but mostly of Link. She had never spoken his name to her people or told them how much she truly cared for him, but she always said he was the brave hero who saved the Twilight. The councilman continued, "Despite the fact that you seem fine with these people, our past with them cannot be erased. They and their Goddesses mercilessly drove us away from their realm. I've said this before, but you still seem overly forgiving of these people."

Midna tried hard not to glare at him. "'Our past with them cannot be erased'? Really, Shaldun? You're completely missing the fact that our ancestors lusted for power, and their banishment into this realm was justified." She couldn't believe she'd just said that... She took a deep breath and plowed on, despite the fact she was probably embarrassing herself. "Of course, we are nothing like our greedy ancestors. We are understanding and kind; we are pure and gentle... are we not?"

All the other council-members nodded their heads in agreement, and Shaldun pressed his lips together for a moment before he too nodded. Midna smiled. "Are we not far superior to our ancestors?" she asked softly.

Shaldun sighed. "Where are you going with this, princess?"

"Well." Midna tried to sit up straighter and square her shoulders. "If we are, indeed, superior to the selfishness of our ancestors, then I want to prove that. I want to stand above their biased hatred toward the people of the light realm. I want to help these people." She smiled. "Don't you remember all the stories I've told you of the light dweller who saved our entire realm? I couldn't have returned to you without him. Without him, Zant would still be on the throne, and all of you would still be stuck in the form of a dark beast."

All the members of her council remained silent for a moment, thinking on her words. Shaldun nervously shifted his weight.

"Then," another councilman spoke up, "what do you wish for us to do, Your Highness?"

"Simple," Midna said with a sigh, leaning back in her throne again and allowing herself to relax. "If you want to... I'd like you to stay back here and watch over the Twili in my absence. Make sure the kingdom is well taken care of." Her eyes searched the members of her council. All of them seemed to be accepting of this task, especially Seila. She was grinning widely and nodding her head. The sight made Midna smile. "Do you accept this task?"

"I do," Seila said without hesitation. "Anything to help you, Princess Midna."

After this, all the other council members echoed words of agreement.

Midna stood up, and though a wave of dizziness nearly overcame her, she forced herself to stay on her feet. "Thank you all so much."

"You'll return soon, won't you?" Seila asked.

"Of course," the princess replied. "I'll come back as quickly as I can. I just want to help the light-dwellers if I can. I owe them so much..." _And by "them", _she thought to herself, _I mean Link and Zelda more than anyone else._

Seila sighed. "Well, I'll miss you, Princess Midna, but know that we'll all be happy to take care of your throne, and we'll do a great job at watching over your people. And... I hope you have fun in the realm of light." She grinned.

"Thank you, Seila." She smiled at the council members. "Thank you all." She strode toward the throne room's exit, but she stopped by Seila's side and whispered with her smile widening, "Keep Shaldun in check, will ya?"

Seila smirked. "Of course, Midna."

* * *

"I know you trust her, Link, and somehow you two seem to be good friends," Ashei huffed, "but I'm still wary of her. Sorry to say it, but that's how I feel."

"Has she done anything to hurt you?" Link said with a sigh.

"Well, no..."

"And instead, she _helped _us. She fought Ameia," Link continued.

Ashei sighed and dropped to the floor. "Yeah, you're right, I'm sorry. It's just that... Well, I hate this place. It's such a strange realm... it feels so _wrong _here. I wish I was back home."

"I like it here," Shad interrupted. "It's lovely in a very unique way." He studied a series of glowing blue markings on the wall. "It's very... interesting."

"I'm sorry, Ashei." Link sat down next to her and sighed heavily. "I don't know what Midna is doing, but I trust her." He tried to smile at her.

Ashei pressed her lips into a line, then she shook her head. "Yeah, yeah... Fine. But how do you two know each other? Maybe you could explain that while we wait for her to come back?" She raised a brow at him and flicked her hair over her shoulder.

"I... Uh." Link shifted uncomfortably. "It's a long story."

"We have time, yeah?"

"Oh, I'd love to hear such a story, old boy! Especially the story of how and why you turn into a beast?" Shad grinned at Link and motioned at him. "Go on! We need to know this kind of thing! After all, something as odd as this doesn't happen every day!"

But Link did _not _want to tell the story of Twilight covering Hyrule, and how he had met Midna in the dungeons of Hyrule Castle, and how she had pushed him to find the Fused Shadows in order to defeat Zant, and...

As if on cue, Midna opened the door of the room and stepped inside with a huge grin on her face, effectively putting an end to the awkward conversation. Link breathed a huge sigh of relief as she put her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "I'm back! Miss me?" she said with a small laugh. She certainly seemed excited. "So... I spoke to my council, and they've agreed to take care of my throne and my people in my absence."

Link's heart skipped a beat, and he tried not to hope for too much. He stared at her with wide eyes. "In your absence...?"

"Yes, I'm coming with you." Midna smirked. "I figured you could use my help... I'll make sure to take good care of you!" Her smirk widened. "After all, Goddesses know you need my help more than anyone. You can hardly do anything for yourself, can you?" she teased.

Link resisted the stupidly strong urge to throw himself into her arms. Instead, he smiled widely at her in return. "You're coming?" Was this really happening? He could hardly believe it! Midna was coming back to Hyrule with him! He thought he could hear Ashei asking a question or two in the background, but he didn't pay any attention to her. He was too excited to. But then his heart dropped. "Midna... You _trust _your council, don't you?" he asked hesitantly.

Midna blinked and paused. "Thank you for worrying, but I wouldn't leave the Twilight Realm if I didn't trust these people. I have a very close friend in the council, and I know she'll take good care of my people." She smiled.

Link nodded once in reply, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling, even though he was afraid he looked like an idiot.

"What are you waiting for, slowpokes? Let's go!" Midna said happily, turning to leave her palace.

Link followed her, and he heard Ashei murmur behind him, "She's coming with us? I really don't know what to think about that..."

"It's exciting! Amazing!" Shad said with a wide grin. "I could ask her so many questions about her realm!"

"Is learning all you care about?" Ashei huffed. "Link just turned into a beast, revealed that he's somehow friends with this strange Midna person, and you're not even _wary?"_

"Well... I wouldn't say I'm totally comfortable with this situation, but he's Link! We trust him, don't we?"

"Well, yeah!" Ashei sighed. "But the way you're reacting to this entire situation is very abnormal, don't you think?"

Link ignored them as they continued bantering, and instead watched as Midna stood at the edge of the Twilight, staring down into the void for a moment. She took a couple steps back and snapped her fingers, summoning the Shadow Crystal. It floated above her palm, its markings glowing red instead of their usual orange. Midna furrowed her brow. "I wonder how this works," she mumbled. "I think... Maybe..." She waved the Shadow Crystal in a few complicated patterns, but nothing happened. She bared her teeth and kept trying. "Ugh, work with me, you stupid thing!" she hissed as she continued waving the Crystal around. After a moment longer, a swirling portal finally opened before them, and Midna smiled widely. She glanced to Link, and he stared at her for a moment, still amazed that this was even happening. Was she really going to come to Hyrule with him? "Well, stop gawking at me and hurry up!" Midna said with a grin.

Ashei was the first person to step through the portal. She was obviously excited about leaving the Twilight. Link and Midna went next, followed by Shad.

And they emerged in the middle of a battleground.

They stood in the portion of Hyrule Field east of Castle Town, and it was filled with bulblins and Tenrian soldiers. The two sides battled each other, and corpses were littered across the grassy floor. A sword nearly pierced Link's side, but he barely managed to duck out of the way, his eyes wide. He drew his own sword and whirled to face his enemy, a tall Tenrian soldier clad in bright armor. Link parried another attack from his enemy and shouted, "Midna! Did you _have _to teleport us into the middle of a battle?"

"Well, I'm _sorry_, I didn't mean to!" Midna called irritably as she formed a ball of red magic between her hands and used it to shock a nearby bulblin.

Shad instantly tried to flee from the battleground, but a bulblin smacked him on the side with its club. Shad yelped in pain and grasped at his side. "What do I do?" he yelled desperately, trying to duck a series of attacks from the bulblin in front of him.

Ashei came up behind the creature and skewered its chest. "Why aren't you carrying a weapon, Shad?" she hissed in annoyance.

"I'm not a fighter!" he protested. He leaned down to the body of the dead bulblin and took its club out of its hand. "I suppose I could try to use this...?"

"It's better than nothing," Ashei grumbled. "Behind you!"

Shad whirled around, but he was too slow. A Tenrian soldier stood before him, his sword poised to strike. Midna formed another electric red ball in her hands, and she tossed it harshly at the enemy. The soldier fell with a scream of agony as the red ball of magic exploded against his body.

With a groan, Midna collapsed to her knees. A bulblin stood behind her, holding its club above her head in preparation to swing it downward. Link lunged forward and lobbed the creature's head clean off. "Midna?" he asked in concern.

"Mmmphh..." she mumbled, "I'll be fine... I promise..."

Link frowned. "You are obviously not fine," he muttered. They couldn't possibly stand here on the battlefield in the midst of all this chaos - both the Tenrian soldiers _and _the bulblins were fighting against them. They had to get to safety. He gently grasped Midna's arms and helped her to her feet. "We have to find somewhere safe to stay," he said, looking to Ashei and Shad.

Ashei nodded, and Shad sighed in relief. "Let's go, then!" he said, his voice loud and shaky. "I don't want to be here for a moment longer than is necessary!"

But where would they go? Link scrambled away from the battlefield as quickly as he could, with Midna slightly leaning on him the entire way, Ashei and Shad in tow. He ducked behind a large rock, away from the commotion, and the others knelt down beside him.

"So what do we do?" Ashei asked. "We need to get into the castle, yeah? We need to make sure the others are okay."

Link nodded. He glanced between Shad and Midna. "Shad, stay out here with Midna. Try to find somewhere safe to stay if you can."

Midna stared at him with a frown. "You're just going to leave me here? I'm coming with you, Link."

"But you're obviously not feeling too well..."

"I'm coming with you anyway," she insisted. "I'll be fine, I promise. Now that I'm here in Hyrule, I don't want to be useless to you. And besides, my magic should return to me in a few days, so I'll be even more helpful to you then!"

Link frowned at her, but then nodded reluctantly. He didn't want her to get hurt - and if she did, he would hold himself responsible for it.

"We need a plan before we go in though, don't you think?" Ashei said quietly, poking her head around the large rock. "We're far enough away from the battle to be safe for now, but who knows how long that'll last? We need to hurry."

Shad shifted his weight uncomfortably. He was still clutching the bulblin club, and was staring down at it with an uneasy expression. "I'd simply love to aid you in whatever way I can, but I'm afraid you know how incapable I am at fighting."

"Oh, just come with us," Ashei said with a small smile. "We'll protect you."

Shad turned the bulblin club over in his hands and huffed. "That's just the thing - I'd only be a burden on you."

Ashei rolled her eyes. "No, you won't. You'll be fine, I promise. Now let's come up with a plan, yeah? Maybe we should sneak into the castle through the secret passage in Telma's bar?"

Link nodded. "That could work... I bet Castle Town's streets are crowded with bulblins and Tenrian men, though. We'd need to slip past them as quietly as possible."

Shad took a deep breath. "All right. What are we waiting for, then?" He looked down to his shaking hands. "What in blazes have I gotten myself into...?"

Ashei grinned at him. "C'mon Shad, you'll be fine. Let's go, yeah?" She poked her head around the rock and observed the battle scene for a moment before she slipped out into the open. She crept along the wall that surrounded Hyrule Castle Town, with Link, Shad, and Midna in tow. A couple bulblins noticed them and ran over to attack them, but they were easily dispatched.

Link was correct - the streets of Castle Town were filled with enemies. Ashei motioned the group into a small alleyway behind the buildings, and from there, they managed to reach the south side of Castle Town virtually unnoticed.

The downward staircase leading to Telma's Bar was blocked by a group of bulblins and Tenrians locked in battle. Link watched their movements with a thoughtful frown on his face. How were they supposed to get to the bar now? They'd have to run out into the open and expose themselves, and maybe even cut down a few enemies on the way into the bar. He supposed there was no other way. He glanced over his shoulder to the others and jerked his head toward the bar. Midna and Ashei nodded in understanding; Shad looked hesitant. With a long sigh, Link decided that Shad was just going to have to follow them whether he wanted to or not. They were at war; they couldn't afford to be slowed down by Shad's incompetence with fighting. The others followed after him as he ran out of the cover of the alleyways and into the open.

Almost immediately, they were met with resistance from the hordes of enemies in front of the bar. Link and Ashei swiftly cut down a few nearby bulblins; Midna took out a couple Tenrian soldiers with her magic. Shad stood uselessly in the background, defensively holding up the bulblin club he was carrying in preparation to attack. One of the bulblins made its way over to him and threw its club at his side. Shad barely managed to dodge, his eyes wide, but he accidentally dropped his own club in the process. With a terrified shout, he desperately ran away from the bulblin as it pursued him, trying to get in an attack. Noticing the mayhem, Link thrust his sword through the bulblin's chest, and the creature fell with a garbled screech.

"C'mon, let's hurry!" Ashei shouted over the commotion, rushing toward the bar.

It was then that Midna's knees buckled beneath her, and she fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Oh, in the name of Din," Link muttered under his breath. He hurried over to her and lifted her up off the ground. He tried not to panic - not only was he concerned for Midna, but now that he was carrying her, he couldn't use his sword.

"Link, behind you!" Ashei called to him.

He looked over his shoulder, only to see a bulblin swinging a crude blade toward him. Eyes wide, Link barely managed to dodge the attack at the last second, tripping over his own two feet as he scurried out of the bulblin's range. Ashei thrust her sword forward, piercing the creature through the stomach. She quickly withdrew her sword from its flesh, then turned and sprinted toward Telma's Bar with Link and Shad in tow.

They slipped inside the bar, only to be met with a small group of bulblins standing guard. The creatures all turned to look at the newcomers - and one of them lunged toward Ashei, its crude sword aimed to pierce her heart. But Ashei easily deflected the blow and sliced the creature's chest. After their comrade fell, the rest of the bulblins rushed toward Ashei almost simultaneously, their weapons poised to attack.

Link turned toward Shad. "Take care of her," he said, pushing the still-unconscious Midna into his arms. Shad looked confused for a moment, and started to protest, but Link didn't have time to listen. He drew his sword and turned to face the enemy. He drove his blade through a builblin's chest as Ashei cut one's throat.

The small group of bulblins was quickly disposed of, and Link sheathed his sword and turned toward Shad. "Thanks," he said, taking Midna into his arms again.

Shad blinked, still confused. "Oh. Er, of course...?" He looked around Telma's Bar and frowned. "Where to next, then?"

Ashei pointed to a small alcove near the ceiling of the bar. "In there. It's the passage to the castle." She climbed atop a table, and from there, she pulled herself up into the alcove. "Come on!"

Shad climbed up after her, and Link went next. It was difficult to climb up into the little alcove with Midna in his arms, but somehow he managed. The moment they'd climbed into the alcove, Shad turned to face Link and frowned. "I suppose we're safe from the enemy in here, even if it's only for a little while. Therefore, I have some questions for you, chap."

"Shad... we don't have time -" Ashei started, but Shad interrupted her.

"Come now, Ashei, I know we're both dying to know _who _this Midna is, and why you know her, and why, of all things, you turned into a rabid beast." Instead of the innocently curious expression Shad usually had, now he only looked cold and even a little scared.

Link realized just how horrible their experience in the Twilight Realm had been. Not only had he turned into a mindless wolf intent on killing anyone around it, but now they were being forced to travel alongside Midna, a strange and otherworldly woman that they didn't fully trust. Surely they felt just as confused and afraid as he had felt the very first time he'd stumbled into the Twilight and met Midna in her imp form.

His lips parted with a few words of explanation on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't speak. He simply couldn't bring himself to explain the long story of his journey to save both realms of Light and Twilight and how Midna had been by his side the entire time. They deserved an explanation, but he didn't have one for them.

Finally, he managed to say, "There's no time..." He trailed off for a moment and took a deep breath. "We need to hurry. What if our friends are in danger?"

Shad frowned. "Link -"

"Please," Link said desperately, "another time..."

Ashei and Shad shared a glance, and Ashei shrugged. "He's right," she said quietly, "we have to go, yeah?" She turned her gaze to Link for a moment. "But you have to promise that, when we get a moment of peace, to tell us the entire story."

Link hesitated.

"Promise," Ashei insisted.

"All right... I promise," he said, lowering his eyes. He really wasn't looking forward to keeping that promise.

* * *

The moon rose high into the sky, casting a faint silver glow on its surroundings. Lord Denlot stared out the window, a frown on his face. "How is Princess Ameia in control of a bulblin army? When did she make a treaty with them?"

A Tenrian soldier behind him shook his head. "I don't know."

Denlot grunted in irritation and plopped down on a nearby chair, looking at his wounded leg. A bulblin had shot him there, but his men had helped treat the wound. "I didn't know we would be met with such resistance." He leaned back in the chair and crossed his legs.

"It's all right, sire," said the soldier, with a small smile. "We'll follow you wherever you go, and we'll do whatever you ask us to. After all, you're far better than Princess Ameia, and we would give anything to have you on the throne instead of her."

Denlot smirked. He had manipulated these people so perfectly that they very nearly worshiped him. "Thank you. I won't put your loyalty to waste," he pledged. And he wouldn't - he'd use his men in whatever way he possibly could, and he knew they couldn't deny him anything. It was too perfect. Everything was working according to plan - except for the small issue of the war with the bulblins, but that wasn't too much of a problem. Denlot leaned forward and steepled his fingers. "I want you to do something."

"Anything." The Tenrian soldier straightened his posture and nodded.

"I want you to explore this land of Hyrule. Take over the first village you see - create an outpost there. I want to take as much of this kingdom as I possibly can; that way, I'll have a nice advantage over Ameia. I want to corner her and her followers." Denlot grinned. "I want to _destroy _them."

* * *

**A/N: So you guys probably have some questions. Like, "So what's going to happen next? Is Denlot the new villain? And what the heck kind of name is Denlot?!" You'll have to wait to find out! xD**

**...And yeah, thanks again for reading. You guys are great! :3**


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**A/N: ...So. Here we go. Next chapter. This one required a lot of edits because there were soooo many stupid, unnecessary scenes. Hopefully it's slightly better, but I still feel it might be a bit... rough ^^; I dunno, critique it and tell me what needs to be changed. :P**

**Anyway, I'm so sorry to have to do this to you guys (I seem to be doing this a lot!) but I might not be updating this Tuesday. I've reached a bit of a setback in this fanfic. Basically, I just hate the ****direction this story is going, so I just deleted all of the chapters I haven't posted yet (I've written seventeen chapters, so that's three chapters I've deleted). Therefore, my updating schedule is going to be thrown off a bit, but don't worry! I'm going to be writing a lot to try and catch up. :P I will not be quitting this fanfic, that much I can promise you; I just want to rewrite some of the chapters and change the direction it's going. Therefore, you _might _not get an update on Tuesday if I'm still trying to write and edit the next chapter. Sorry, guys, but I just don't want this to turn totally stupid or anything. D:**

**But enough blabbing from me, here's another chapter! And thank you guys again so much for your support. :3**

* * *

Midna's eyes slowly fluttered open, and she looked up at Link. He smiled down at her. "Feeling better?" he asked.

Midna nodded. "Mmmphh... where are we?"

"Atop Hyrule Castle," he replied simply.

Ashei sighed heavily. "You've been out cold for quite a while now... Maybe it'd be best for you to stay behind with Shad, yeah?"

Shad harrumphed indignantly. "I do not want to stay back here and do absolutely nothing! True, I may not be a fighter... but surely there's something I can do to help?"

"And I'm coming too," Midna insisted, climbing out of Link's arms and standing up. She wobbled for a moment, and Link prepared to catch her if she fell, but she stood straight and set her mouth into a line. "It's selfish of me, but I want to come with you. I'll try not to be a burden on you." She smiled faintly. "I won't faint again, I promise."

Link frowned. He knew Midna was probably feeling weak, but she just didn't want to admit it. He sighed heavily. "Let's go, then," he said. They stood atop the roofs of Hyrule Castle, facing the window that led to Princess Zelda's chambers. As Link's eyes scanned the rooftops, he noticed a balcony protruding from one of the castle walls a dozen feet below them. King Bulblin stood on that balcony, with a dark-haired man at his side. Link furrowed his brow. "Who is that - by King Bulblin?" he asked quietly.

Ashei leaned over the edge to look down at the balcony. "That guy? He was with Princess Ameia when she came to Hyrule. I guess he's her counselor or something."

"Hmm." Link raised a brow. King Bulblin was standing calmly beside the dark-haired man, which suggested that they were allies of sorts. Ameia's counselor must have been in control of the bulblin armies. If Link could get rid of the counselor, then King Bulblin wouldn't have anyone to follow anymore, and he'd be forced to leave and find somewhere else to take his followers. "Let's go get rid of that counselor, then."

* * *

Counselor Divith stared down into the courtyard, filled with bulblins and Tenrian men locked in combat. Divith looked calm - but then again, he always looked calm. Even with a giant green beast by his side and a war raging in the castle courtyard below, he still didn't look fazed. "Such a foolish princess," he murmured, his tone displaying nothing more than boredom.

King Bulblin grunted. "Where is the Princess Ameia?" he asked.

"She fled like a coward," Divith stated simply, standing up straight and turning to meet King Bulblin's red eyes. "I will keep this castle in her name - I won't allow the other Tenrians to have it. But she was a fool to run and hide in such a dire time."

King Bulblin didn't reply. He continued staring at Divith with his piercing, bestial red eyes. A moment of tense silence passed between them - and then the balcony door flew open. Divith whirled to face whoever was standing on the other side of the door, only to see a group of four strangers - a tall, dark-haired woman, a short man clad in green, a rather average-looking man with spectacles, and a very strange, otherworldly woman with blue skin, lilac lips, and red eyes. Divth only stared at them, his cold, calm demeanor never slipping, even once.

"You're in control of the bulblins, aren't you?" the dark-haired woman asked, jabbing her finger toward him. She placed her hand on the hilt of a sword tied to her hip. "Tell them to give up and stop fighting, and we'll spare you. Sounds good, yeah?"

Divith frowned. "I'm afraid I can't do that. Princess Ameia commanded me to keep this castle safe in her absence, and I intend to obey her will."

The red-eyed woman's purple lips curled up into a smile. She snapped her fingers, and Ameia's precious Dark Crystal appeared there, floating above the woman's blue-skinned palm. "Your darling Princess Ameia is dead. Sad, isn't it?"

She was really... _dead? _Could it possibly be true? For once, Divith allowed his constant calm disposition to drop. He smiled - a cold, cruel smile. "Is she, now?" The smile vanished as soon as it had appeared, and he laced his hands behind his back. "Then I know what my next move will be."

"Your next... move?" the dark-haired woman asked in confusion, tilting her head.

"I am a patient man," Divith said with a long sigh. "I have waited many long years, and I can wait long years more." He motioned toward the group of four people, and looked at King Bulblin. "Take care of them."

King Bulblin grunted in reply, and stepped in front of the group of strangers with his giant weapon grasped tightly in his hands. Divith easily slipped past the group, all while he heard the dark-haired woman's voice calling after him, "Wait! Come back! I wasn't finished with you!" But she couldn't chase after him. The giant green-skinned beast was blocking their way with his huge axe in hand. Divith strode through the empty halls of Hyrule Castle as if he had not a care in the world.

He emerged into the courtyard and held up his hands. "Drop your weapons!" he called out loudly. All the bulblins turned toward him, and he shouted again, "Drop them!"

The creatures cried out one to another in their garbled, nonsensical language as they dropped their bows, clubs, and crude, rusty swords. The Tenrians stopped battling the bulblins, confusion written all over their faces. Counselor Divith bowed his head respectfully and said, "Take me to see your commander. I wish to meet with him on terms of peace."

The Tenrian soldiers looked at each other, still confused. Two of them stepped forward toward Divith and nodded. "Then... come with us," one said, motioning toward the large double-doors that led away from the courtyard.

Divith followed them wordlessly through the streets of Castle Town and into a large house near the southern gates. Lord Denlot reclined in a plush chair in the corner of the house, and when he saw his visitor, he raised a brow. "And why are you here?" he demanded.

Divith bowed his head respectfully. "I am here to surrender."

* * *

Link plunged his sword deep into the flesh of King Bulblin's stomach. The great beast roared in pain and retreated into the corridors of Hyrule Castle.

"Get him!" Ashei growled, chasing after him.

"Wait!" Shad called after her. He grabbed her arm, and she whirled to face him with an impatient expression. Shad sighed. "Don't you think we should find the others first? I am sure that Princess Zelda, Auru, Rusl, and Telma miss you already." He smiled.

Ashei frowned and squirmed out of his grasp. "Well... I guess you're probably right," she finally said. "We should go find them... and they can probably help us put an end to this war, yeah?"

Shad nodded. "Oh, of course they can help! And... perhaps I can be of assistance by lending you my knowledge?" He smiled sheepishly.

"You'll learn how to fight sooner or later... I'll make sure of that," Ashei said with a smirk.

Shad blinked at her. "What do you mean by that...?" But she was already gone; she had vanished into the hallways of Hyrule Castle. "Ashei?" he called tentatively. Link and Midna rushed past him to follow Ashei, and though Shad grumbled a few complaints under his breath, he went after them.

The halls were completely empty, and the silence was eerie. The group passed through room after room, looking for the princess and the other members of the resistance. After a while of running, Shad stopped to catch his breath, and the others stopped beside him. "What are you waiting for, Shad?" Ashei asked with a deep sigh. "We need to go, yeah?"

"Just... allow me to... catch my breath," Shad panted. "You're all much too fast for me."

Link scanned the room they had stopped in, only to see a silhouette slowly creeping toward them from a narrow hallway in a far wall. He placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it - until he saw a familiar face emerge from the hallway. "Rusl!" he called happily, glad to see that the man was unharmed.

Rusl's eyes widened. "Link! Behind you!"

Link's heart skipped a beat. He reflexively drew his sword and whirled to face the enemy that was waiting to attack him - but there was nobody there. Link furrowed his brow in confusion. What was Rusl talking about?

Midna raised a brow. "I think he's talking about me," she said with a long sigh.

"Oh..." Link sheathed his sword.

But Rusl drew his own sword and glared at Midna. "Don't put your weapon away, Link, attack the beast!"

Link frowned. "No, Rusl, you don't understand. Midna is -"

"Midna?" Rusl narrowed his eyes. "Don't let its beauty fool you. It looks pretty, I know, but it only wants to harm you."

Midna rolled her eyes.

"Rusl -" Link tried again, but was interrupted.

"The beast may take on a slightly humanoid form, but its red eyes aren't deceiving me. I know what it truly is." He pointed his sword toward Midna, and Link's eyes widened. "Step away from Link, you foul monster, or else I'll -"

"For Din's sake, Rusl, shut up for a moment!" Link's tone was so unusually furious that Rusl immediately obeyed, a surprised and confused expression on his face. Link clenched and unclenched his fists and took a deep breath. "Step away from Midna and sheathe your sword."

Rusl blinked. "But -"

_"Rusl." _Link took another deep breath in a somewhat failed attempt to calm himself. "Step away from Midna." He was enraged - how dare Rusl point a sword at Midna? Yet through his anger, he realized how Rusl felt. Of course he'd want to kill anything that looked even relatively similar to a beast of the Twilight, since Ordon Village had been attacked by those very beasts nearly two years ago. It only made sense that he'd be wary of Midna.

"Link... don't you realize what this creature is - the very creature that stands beside you now?" Rusl frowned.

Link tried to be calm. "Midna isn't a _creature. _She's on our side, I promise."

Rusl's frown only deepened. "How do I know that she hasn't put some kind of spell on you?"

"She doesn't have a _spell _on me."

"Are you sure about that?" Midna whispered teasingly to Link with a wide smirk.

He felt his cheeks flush, but he pretended she hadn't said anything. "I've known her for almost two years now."

Midna's smirk vanished, replaced by an innocent, kind smile. Link knew that she could have directed a scathing or sarcastic remark at Rusl plenty of times already, but the fact she hadn't meant that she wanted Rusl to think better of her. He found himself smiling at her in return.

Rusl looked between Ashei and Shad. "You two seem perfectly fine with this situation..."

Shad nervously shifted his weight, and Ashei tilted her head. "Well, I was wary of her at first, but... I mean... Eh..." She stumbled over her words, as if unsure of what to say.

"But any friend of Link's must be trustworthy, hmm?" Shad said. He paused as if thinking about his own words, then he nodded once. "I would love to know more about this strange situation and _how _Link knows her, but I'm afraid there hasn't been much time for him to explain. Still, she seems to be a close friend of his, so I'm sure that she is indeed on our side."

Rusl sighed, sheathed his sword, and folded his arms across his chest. "Well, we have some time right now. Why don't you explain this, Link?"

Link quickly averted his eyes and nervously shifted from one foot to the other. He met Midna's eyes for a moment, and they shared a knowing look, then both of them stared down at the floor as if it was the most interesting thing they'd ever seen. "I'd... rather not," he mumbled.

Midna lifted her eyes and opened her mouth to speak - but she was interrupted by a sudden series of screams that rang through the castle. Rusl turned toward the narrow hallway he'd emerged from, and he furrowed his brow. "Unfortunately, it seems I was wrong - we _don't _have time. But you must promise to explain yourself later." He glanced over his shoulder to Link with a stern look on his face, then he dashed off toward the sound of the screaming with the others following close behind him.

"What's happening?" Ashei asked as she ran after Rusl.

"I don't know. The princess and her people might be in danger," Rusl replied. He quickened his pace, and the others ran faster to keep up with him. They turned down a series of hallways until they came close to the dungeons, where they saw Tenrian soldiers standing before a group of Hyrulians.

"Get back in your cells!" one of the soldiers demanded, pointing his sword at the nearest Hyrulian woman. She shrieked and stumbled backward.

Princess Zelda stepped forward, a determined expression on her face. She drew the sword at her hip and lifted her chin. "Leave my people be. They have suffered enough oppression in the past; I will not allow them to endure such pain any longer." Auru stood at her side, supporting her with his presence and his own sword, and Telma stood in the back, trying to comfort a few crying children. Link winced at the scene - those poor children! Who knew what they'd been through in the dungeons of Hyrule Castle?

The Tenrian soldiers all stood their ground. "We've already won, princess. There's nothing you can do." He brandished his sword at her, and she held up her own blade defensively. "You were clever to slip all these prisoners away right under our noses, but we've got you now. Tell your people to return to their cells and nobody gets hurt."

Link saw Zelda waver. Her eyes flicked with confusion for only a moment, and she lowered her sword by a fraction. Clenching his jaw, he stepped forward to stand beside her as he drew his own weapon. They couldn't lose this battle - winning was the only chance they had to survive. What hope could they cling to if they were thrown in the dungeons? Midna came up beside Link - she and Zelda shared a glance, and the Hyrulian princess looked shocked, but she said nothing. Rusl and Ashei came next, and finally Shad, though he was shaky, wide-eyed, and weaponless. The members of the resistance stood around the group of Hyrulians, forming a barrier between them and the Tenrians. Link smiled. Even though the situation seemed utterly hopeless, they were still going to fight to defend the people of Hyrule.

The Tenrian soldier in the front huffed in frustration. "Your choice, princess. When I kill all of your people, their blood will be on your hands and not mine." And with those words, he lunged forward.

Midna pressed her hands together to create one of her electric red balls, and she tossed it at the man. It exploded against his body and sent him flying backward with a scream of pain. He crashed into a wall, his armor shattered and the flesh beneath it seared. The other Tenrian soldiers flinched at the sight, and a few of them took a couple steps backward, their postures stiff with fear. "If you attack, we'll defend ourselves, and trust me, you don't want that," Midna said with narrowed eyes and a tiny, impish smirk.

"You certainly have some strange people on your side, dearest Princess Zelda," came a voice from the other side of the room. Almost everyone turned to face the source of the voice, only to see a tall, blonde-haired man with green eyes. He looked young but strong, and held himself with importance. He wore a cocky smile on his face. "No matter. If what Counselor Divith tells me is true, then Ameia is dead." These words resulted in a loud cheer from the Tenrian soldiers. The blonde-haired man grinned and lifted a hand for silence. "If this is true, then we have one less obstacle in our way to take care of. But I have more good news for you - Counselor Divith expressed his distaste for Ameia and said he was only following her out of necessity. He is now working under me, and since he has an army of bulblins to follow his every beck and call, we have even _more _soldiers on our side." The man looked to Princess Zelda with a cruel smile. "I apologize for the terrible mess you're in, Your Majesty, but it seems you are hopelessly outnumbered."

"All hail Lord Denlot!" came a shout from among the Tenrian soldiers. The rest of the soldiers took up this chant, and their voices rang through the castle halls, each word like a knife through Link's chest. No... he couldn't lose hope. He had to fight! He had to protect Hyrule! But when he looked over to Princess Zelda, he saw her confidence waver. Though she kept her shoulders squared and her head high, it was obvious by the look in her eyes. She knew she was doomed.

The blonde-haired man - Lord Denlot, apparently - raised his hand for silence again. "I must thank you all for your loyalty," he said to his soldiers. "I would not have made it this far without each and every one of you. Your sacrifices are invaluable. Thanks to you, both Hyrule and Tenrya are ours!" The soldiers cheered once more, until Denlot silenced them again. "Divith. Now."

A dark-haired man with cold gray eyes stepped forward from an open doorway, his hands laced behind his back. "Yes, Sire." He waved his hand, and a small army of bulblins came rushing into the castle. They wielded bows and clubs and crude swords, and they cried out in their garbled, nonsensical language as they surrounded the Hyrulians. Link brandished his sword and turned in a circle as he surveyed the horde of enemies surrounding him and his people. He gritted his teeth.

The Hyrulians screamed in fright, and over the tumult Denlot called, "Surrender!"

Zelda lowered her gaze. She shut her eyes tight as if to prevent tears from spilling down her cheeks - and then she dropped her sword. The members of the resistance all turned to look at her with saddened and even scared expressions. Link squeezed his eyes shut as if doing so would chase away the horrible nightmare unfolding around him, and Midna looked at Zelda with a frown. "Zelda..."

Lord Denlot smirked. "I have an offer for you, Your Highness," he said, slightly bowing his head to Zelda. Her eyes hardened - he was mocking her, and she knew it. "Perhaps you would like to become my wife? A good lord - no, a king! - needs a beautiful woman to stand by his side, and I am, unfortunately, unmarried..."

Zelda kept her head high, her eyes hard, and she said nothing. It was an obvious refusal of his offer. Denlot sighed heavily. "That's your choice, Princess Zelda. I would have spoiled you, but no matter." He waved his hand. "Take the people to the dungeons. Hopefully some of them will be of use to me. If not... then we can dispose of them."

Link tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword, his eyes burning with rage. So Ameia was dead, but she was only a small part of them problem. A Tenrian soldier pointed his sword at Link. "Drop your weapon!" he demanded.

With a grimace, Link dropped his sword to the ground, not fully believing what was happening. Were they really losing this war? What hope did he have left now? He saw Ashei, Rusl, and Auru drop theirs, though Ashei refused to go down quietly. "You're all monsters! Your leader's a monster too, yeah? Can't you see how awful he is, or are you all just blind idiots? Look what you're doing! We're innocent - we haven't done anything wrong! Why throw us in a dungeon for no reason? We haven't done anything to you!" A Tenrian soldier grabbed her arms and shoved her forward toward the dungeons, all while she continued shouting protests. Another soldier roughly took Link's arms and pushed him along, while Link shot him a murderous glare.

Behind him, he heard a Tenrian say, "Make sure this one can't use her magic."

Link frantically glanced over his shoulder to try and find out what was happening - only to see two Tenrian soldiers take Midna by the arms, while a third one smacked her over the head with the hilt of his sword. "Midna!" Link called desperately as she sank to the ground, unconscious. He struggled to free himself of the man who held him captive, but the soldier only drew his sword and pressed the blade to his neck.

"Move along," he hissed quietly.

Link gritted his teeth, his heart hammering in his chest, his eyes wide with boiling rage and even fear. Fear for his life and the lives of his friends; fear their fate and the fate of Hyrule. How could they fight back against these awful Tenrians? He had no idea what to do, and in that moment he felt utterly and completely hopeless. He could only allow himself to be pushed through the dungeon hallways and into a dark, cold cell. He watched the barred metal door clang shut in front of him, and as the harsh sound of the lock clicking into place echoed through the hollow dungeon cell, Link felt as if all his hope and courage dissipated into nothingness.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews, guys. They make me feel better about this story x3 And here ya go, another chapter. /yawns/ This one was hard to write because... well... I'm writer's blocked, let's face it, and I'm just really struggling to produce new chapters.**

**A fair warning in advance - this chapter is probably super crappy because I just finished it today in time for my self-inflicted deadline and I haven't had a chance to do any extensive editing to it. Yeah, it's been through minor grammar and typo proofreads and edits, but I haven't had a chance to edit anything *major* like stupid, unrealistic things happening or characters acting stupid/OOC and etc. Sooo... just be warned, this might be awful. I dunno, I'm too exhausted to tell since I haven't slept properly in a week. xP**

**What am I even rambling about anymore?! Sorry! xD;**

* * *

"Your Majesty..." Lord Denlot raised a brow. "I deeply apologize for this -" Judging by the cocky smirk on his face, he wasn't sorry at all - "but whether you like it or not, I'll be taking you to my quarters." He spun on his heel and flicked a hand. "Bring her, guards!"

Princess Zelda's eyes widened. No, she would not be taken like this - not again! She had surrendered her sword to save her people, but Denlot had specifically stated that he would end their lives if they proved to be of no use to him. What purpose was there in surrendering if her people's lives would not be spared either way? She watched as Midna was knocked out, and Link, along with the other members of the resistance, were dragged away into the dungeons. She could not ask for their help. She was on her own.

Narrowing her eyes, she ducked just as the guards reached out to grab hold of her. She swiftly took her sword into her hands again - the same one she had dropped in a token of surrender - and she fled. Soldiers and bulblins stood in her way, but she veered down another hallway to avoid them. She knew Hyrule Castle like the back of her hand; she might have a chance to escape if she hurried.

"Guards!" Denlot roared behind her. "Capture her! Princess, if you don't come back to me, I'll kill your people!"

What was the point? He was going to kill her people anyway. No, she had to run. The only chance she had to save the Hyrulians was to escape and get help as quickly as possible, before Denlot executed her people.

Zelda ducked down another hallway as she heard the footsteps of guards echoing closer and closer behind her. She glanced out the windows beside her - they led into a rather empty stretch of courtyard, mostly unguarded by bulblins or Tenrian men. Without a moment's hesitation, she drove her blade through one of the windows and leaped outside, tripping over her long dress in the process. She collapsed face-first to the grassy courtyard floor with a cry of pain as she felt glass embedding into her arms and legs.

Still she could hear the guards drawing ever closer. Scrambling to her feet, Princess Zelda kept running despite the pain in her legs. Her only thought was to escape, and it overshadowed any other feelings she might have had.

As she reached the exit to the courtyard, three bulblins rushed toward her, wielding clubs and swords. She easily cut down the first one, but the other two kept dodging her attacks, slowing her progress. Denlot's guards were nearly upon her - she could hear their shouts and heavy footfalls.

Trying to keep her composure despite her racing heart, she feinted at one of the bulbins, making it dodge to the right side, where she quickly brought her blade and cut deep into its chest. The creature gave a garbled cry before it fell, and Zelda wasted no time in stabbing the other bulblin through the chest.

"Got you!" one of the guards shouted as he reached out his hand to grab the princess. But he was too late - Zelda had already slipped outside the courtyard and into the streets of Castle Town.

The streets were swarming with bulblins and Tenrian men. Keeping to the alleyways, Zelda crept away from the town unnoticed and emerged into Hyrule Field. She was exhausted. Though she had learned to use a sword, she had never been very physically strong, and her cut-up legs weren't making her feel any better. Still, she ran, pushing through the small field east of Castle Town and heading north.

She didn't know how much longer she could run. She kept tripping, over and over again; eventually she slowed to a stumbling walk. The north side of Hyrule Field stretched before her eyes, and a small but elegant stone bridge spanned a rushing river. How she longed for water. Zelda stumbled to the edge of the river, growing more and more exhausted as she went. She could feel the glass in her legs and arms cutting deeper into her; she could feel blood trickling down her skin; she could feel unconsciousness slowly threatening to take over her.

Zelda knelt weakly by the edge of the river and tightened her hand around the hilt of her sword - or she would have, if her sword was still there. Confused, Zelda lifted her eyes. Where was her sword? She must have accidentally dropped it somewhere on her journey to the north side of Hyrule Field.

She needed water. Her throat was horribly dry and her entire mouth felt like cotton. She dipped a shaking hand down toward the cold, raging water of the river, but she found she couldn't move. A terrible wave of dizziness forced her to slump forward - and her unconscious body plunged into the river.

* * *

Princess Zelda's eyes slowly fluttered open. She was lying in a bundle of blankets, staring up at many pouring waterfalls feeding a large pool. Without getting up, she scanned her surroundings. She was in Zora's Domain - and a Zora itself was sitting nearby with a worried expression.

"You're awake. Are you all right, Your Majesty?" the Zora asked in a high, feminine voice.

Zelda tried to sit up, but nausea forced her back down. "Yes, thank you. What happened?"

"I should be asking the same thing." The Zora smiled. "Anyway... We have soldiers patrol the river daily. On this particular patrol, they found something interesting - your unconscious body floating down the river. You were wounded, so they brought you back here, where I removed the glass from your limbs and bandaged you up. What brings you here, Your Majesty?"

Zelda sighed and shut her eyes. "Hyrule has been overtaken by another kingdom. I came to ask for help." Link had suggested to her that they ask for help from the Zoras, but she had ignored his suggestion, thinking it would be better to sneak into the castle and strike at its heart. She was wrong. Since that idea obviously wasn't working, it seemed like a much better plan to ask the Zoras for their help. "May I speak to King Ralis?"

The Zora woman's eyes widened. "We'd heard of wars raging around Hyrule Castle, but we didn't know what to do about it. It's been overtaken? By whom?"

"A neighboring kingdom called Tenrya," Zelda stated, opening her eyes again and staring up at the sky.

"I will fetch King Ralis immediately." The Zora woman nodded her head. "As you are still weak, I'm sure he won't mind coming down to meet you."

"No, that is all right. I will meet him in the throne room."

The Zora paused. "No, I'll bring him down here. As a healer, it's my duty to make sure you're all right." She smiled, and without waiting for a response from Zelda, she dove gracefully into the water and swam toward the tall waterfall that divided the pool from the throne room.

Zelda tried to sit up again. The least she could do when King Ralis came down to meet her was sit up straight. She was still dizzy, but she tried to push the feeling away. _I am a princess, _she told herself, _the ruler and protector of Hyrule. I cannot succumb to my pathetic weaknesses. I must stand straight and tall - for my people._

When she saw the Zora woman coming down the waterfall again, accompanied by King Ralis and two of his guards, Zelda forced herself to stand on her shaky legs. She pressed her hand against a nearby rock to support herself and held her head high. Ralis leaped ashore, followed by his guards, and smiled faintly at Zelda. He was so young - it was a wonder that he was able to rule the Zoras so well. He was unusually mature for his age, and that was something Zelda deeply admired. She bowed her head to him, and his smile turned sheepish. "Oh, there's no need for that," he said, awkwardly bowing his head in reply. "Are you all right? You were found wounded and unconscious in the river..."

Zelda nodded. "I will be fine, Your Highness, thank you." She paused. "I managed to escape from Hyrule Castle, but could only come this far."

Ralis frowned. "My healer told me that Hyrule has been taken by a kingdom called Tenrya."

"Yes."

"And... you need our help."

Zelda sighed quietly. "I would ask for your aid, yes. I know that I cannot drive away the Tenrians with my current resources. It is understandable that you would be reluctant to volunteer your people for a war that is not even your own, but... please. I need your help. I can assure you that I will find a way to return the favor once I have reclaimed my throne." Usually she spoke in a more diplomatic way - and usually she sounded much stronger and more convincing. But now she only sounded desperate; she was truly begging for his help.

And Ralis obliged. "I'd be glad to help you, Princess Zelda. But you're right - this war isn't my own, and I'm reluctant to allow my people to march blindly into a war without any idea of what to expect." He looked away as if thinking. "I could help you, but it would take a little while to rally up my forces and prepare a strategy. If you could give me all the information you have about these Tenrians and just how we might defeat them, then I can send an army to help you."

"Thank you." Zelda's lips curled into a tiny, almost unnoticeable smile. "I have an idea."

* * *

Midna's eyes opened, but she could see nothing save for dark blurs. She tried to move her hands to rub her eyes, but something forced her to keep her arms above her head. She blinked away the blurriness in her vision only to discover she was in a small, dark dungeon cell with her arms chained over her head.

Oh, no. How could she use her magic now? With her hair being cut, the only magic she could use was her red lightning. And since her hands were chained in an awkward position, she couldn't use that, either. She was hopeless.

Midna gritted her teeth and focused all her energy into using her hair, but it wouldn't move. She needed to wait for it to grow back before she could do anything with it.

But what other choice did she have? How else could she escape this awful cell? And why in the world had she insisted on coming to the Light Realm? She shook her head. It would have been better for her to stay in the Twilight where she belonged... but she simply couldn't help it. She had seen Link and wanted desperately to go with him and help him somehow. Hah! Some help she was...

She couldn't let herself be imprisoned here. She couldn't just wait around for Link to save her; she couldn't be a damsel in distress. Taking a deep breath, she squeezed her eyes shut and focused on her hair. She told it to move - and it obeyed. Her hair flopped around pathetically as if trying to form itself into the shape of a hand, but it couldn't seem to, and just that simple movement sent waves of pain through Midna's head. It was as if she was trying to move a severed limb - and it hurt. Badly.

But she couldn't let pain stop her. Clenching her jaw to prevent herself from screaming in agony, she tried to move her hair again. She felt it form into the shape of a hand. Yes - she was doing it! Although it hurt terribly, she had to continue. The pain made her entire body tremble and she felt tears pouring down her cheeks, but still she forced her hair to move upward. The fingers that hadn't been severed by Ameia's terrible magic grasped weakly at the chain holding Midna's arms up.

She was so close. Just a little more... She directed her hair to tug on the chain; it obeyed, but only served to pull the chain to the side. No, that wasn't what she wanted! The chain needed to break! But she didn't know how much longer she could keep it up. The pain was almost unbearable, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she screamed and sobbed in agony. And she couldn't allow herself to do that. But still, she had to try just one more time...

Exerting strength she didn't know she had, she clutched tightly at the chain with her hair and pulled again. Still it didn't break, but she could tell the metal was straining. Oh, she was so close... Midna couldn't hold back a few whimpers of pain as she grabbed the chain with all her might and tugged.

The metal snapped, and the sound echoed through the cell and into the hallways of the dungeon beyond. Without the chain to support her weight, Midna fell forward and landed on her hands and knees in her cell, tears pouring from her eyes and her entire body shaking. She collapsed onto her side and allowed herself to sob quietly, relieved at the release of pain.

After a few seconds, she forced herself to stand on shaky legs and took a few deep breaths. She had freed herself from her chains; now all she had to do was escape from her cell.

Midna pressed her hands together to form a ball of red lightning. She felt blackness swimming in her vision; she was using far too much of her strength. But she couldn't give up now. Gritting her teeth, she focused on the cell door and tossed the ball of magic at it. The red ball exploded against the door, sending a shower of sparks everywhere and creating a large hole between the bars.

Midna tried hard to fight the blackness swimming in her vision, but she wasn't sure if she could. She stumbled to the side and barely caught herself on the wall, where she squeezed her eyes shut and focused on taking deep breaths until the urge to faint left her.

"What's this?" one of the guards from outside yelled. "What are you doing, trying to escape? It won't happen!" He rushed into Midna's cell, pointing a sword at her. She huffed at him and formed another ball of lightning in her hands, despite the fact that her head swam and she knew she was going to faint. She tossed the red ball of magic at the man, and he fell with a scream.

Midna felt her body collapsing to the ground. "No..." she mumbled to herself as she fell on her hands and knees. She couldn't allow herself to pass out. Gritting her teeth and using all her willpower, she stumbled to her feet again and tried desperately to chase away the blackness in her vision. She had to escape.

* * *

Link didn't know how long he'd been in the cell, but it felt like days. Though it was probably only a few hours.

He couldn't stand to be here a second longer. With a deep scowl, he stood and paced the cell. What was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to get out? He had no hope and no courage left. With a huff of frustration, he peeled the fingerless glove off his left hand and stared at the mark of the Triforce there. It was Farore's gift to him; a symbol of courage and determination. So why did he have no courage left? He had nothing.

With a wordless shout of rage, he slammed his fist into the nearby wall so hard that it bled. He stared at his bleeding knuckles and gritted his teeth. What was he supposed to do? He had no Light Shell to give him hope anymore. He had no sword to fight with and no foreseeable way to escape the miserable, dank cell.

"Hey, quiet down in there!" a guard from outside shouted at him.

Link huffed, blowing a lock of messy hair out of his eyes, and sank down to the ground. He remained silent for a long moment before bowing his head and closing his eyes. _Farore, please, _he began, but hesitated. Please what? What was he even asking for? _Give me courage, _was what he finally settled on.

And at that exact moment, the guard outside screamed in pain and fell. Curious, Link lifted his head and watched as sparks of familiar red magic arced across the man's lifeless body. _No, it can't be, _Link thought to himself as he scrambled to his feet and watched the dungeon halls.

It seemed too good to be true, but there was Midna, walking toward the fallen guard. She knelt beside his body and lifted a small ring of keys from his hip, then got to her feet and turned toward Link's cell.

"Ugh. You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to get here," she grumbled. "You'd better be grateful. You owe me a lot."

Link smiled. Was this actually happening? "I _do _owe you a lot."

She huffed and tried a few keys until the lock clicked open. Link pushed the cell door and slipped outside, where Midna instantly collapsed onto him and yawned. "For starters, you can carry me out of here."

He blinked at her. "...Of course." He gently lifted her off the ground and into his arms, only to realize just how shaky she was. Her entire body was trembling, and she clutched weakly at his tunic as her eyes drifted shut. He frowned. "What exactly did you do?"

"Maybe I'll tell you if you get us out of here," she mumbled.

Link sighed and turned toward the staircase that led up and out of the dungeons. "What about the others? I have to find Ashei and the other members of the resistance and free them."

"No... Link, we have to get out of here. I know you want to help them, but they're strong. They'll help themselves somehow. We need to get out, build our strength up, and figure out a plan. I can't do much with my hair cut as it is, and we need to wait a few days for it to grow back. Then I can actually be of some help to you, and we can free the others."

As much as Link hated to admit it, he knew she was right. They were both weak and tired, and they'd have a better chance of helping the others if they escaped, regained their strength, and returned. But what if something terrible happened to the members of the resistance if he simply left them in the dungeons?

Link clenched his jaw. "I'm sorry, Midna, but I have to help them."

"Stubborn idiot," he heard her say before she fell limp in his arms.

His heart skipped a beat, and he stared down at her. "Midna?" But she was still breathing. She had only fallen unconscious. He sighed deeply in relief and turned toward the exit of the dungeons. His courage and hope was slowly returning to him, and he knew he had to do everything he could to protect Hyrule. Taking a deep breath, he went forward.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

**A/N: Oh nooo, I didn't post on Tuesday! Burn me at the stake! (...Okay, that was joke, please don't burn me. ;~;) Ahem... anyway, another chapter for you guys x3 Thanks for being so patient with me! And I really am sorry I didn't post on Tuesday... I kind of have an excuse. (Sort of.) I had the chapter all written up, but I hated it sooo much that I deleted it and tried to start over again. But uh, I kind of lost motivation and was getting really irritated with this chapter, so I procrastinated xP But at least you have a chapter today... that's better than nothing right? Right?! ...Ugh, I need to shut up already ^^;**

**But before I do, I need to tell you guys something. Since I've reached such a setback in this fanfic, my updating schedule is going to become really erratic. (Well, hopefully not too erratic, actually.) I want to try my best to post every Friday, but you probably won't get updates on Tuesdays unless I manage to write a chapter by then. So... just expect updates on Fridays. I'm so sorry, guys... But we're nearing the end of this story anyway, and I don't want to be lazy with the ending like I've been lazy with the last few chapters. Hope you can all forgive me D:**

**With that said, I will be quiet now and give you this chapter to read. (...Also it has *not* been edited extensively, since I'm kind of short on time today and also really freaking exhausted. Sorry if it's riddled with mistakes.)**

* * *

"Sir," said the tall man clad from head to toe in armor.

Lord Denlot looked up at the man and tsked. "You lost Princess Zelda."

"We searched for her all day yesterday and all of this morning, but we couldn't find her." The man bowed his head in shame. "Sorry, sir."

Denlot huffed and tried not to appear angry, but he couldn't help it. "Find her. She could prove dangerous if we allowed her to roam free." He stood from his chair and shook his head. "Never mind. I'm going to that one village - what's it called?"

The man frowned in confusion. "...Sir?"

"Kakariko or something like that," Denlot sighed. "My men reported to me that it was a good village to build an outpost at, especially if we can get the Gorons on our side."

"They have Gorons here in Hyrule too?" the man questioned.

Denlot nodded. "And they're just as strong as the ones in Tenrya. We have a treaty with those, surely we can make some sort of agreement with these ones. If not, we'll just have to dispatch of them." He smirked. "I will have this kingdom as my own, and nobody can stop me, not even Gorons." He strode across the room to grab his sword, which he strapped at his hip. "I'm going to Kakariko to see if I can negotiate with them. Find Divith."

"Yes, sir." The man bowed to him before hurrying out of the room, leaving Denlot to pace in circles as he mulled over what he could offer the Gorons in return for their allegiance.

He didn't have much time to himself before Counselor Divith stepped into the room, accompanied by the same man that had left to find him. Divith bowed respectfully and said nothing, waiting instead for Denlot to speak.

Lord Denlot narrowed his eyes at Ameia's former counselor. "How do I know if I can trust you?" he said after a long silence.

Divith lifted his head. "I would do anything for you, my lord," he said calmly. "I only served Ameia out of necessity, as I told you already. As you know, the princess was very temperamental. If I would have tried to leave her, she would have killed me." The man's face was an emotionless mask; then again, it always was. Denlot thought he was quite talented at reading people, but Divith was another matter entirely. Sometimes he wondered if the counselor was even human at all. Maybe he was a living doll. Divith continued, "But now that I am in your service, I am fully loyal to you, my lord. You are a much wiser ruler than she is."

And at that moment, Denlot swore he saw some kind of emotion in Divith's eyes - but he wasn't quite sure what. "You are an intelligent man, my lord," said the counselor, still with that odd expression in his eyes that Denlot just couldn't place, "and I know you will make the right decisions."

Denlot raised a brow. "Yes. Yes, I do make the right decisions," he stated proudly, lifting his chin. "And I have decided to leave Castle Town for a little while and visit Kakariko instead. You will act in my stead while I'm gone - it's the perfect chance for you to prove just how trustworthy you are." He pointed to the armor-clad man standing beside Divith. "This is one of my most trusted guards, Roland. He will watch your every move and judge your every decision. Take one wrong step and... I'll know about it." He smirked and raised a brow. "Good day, Divith."

And, to Denlot's surprise, Counselor Divith's calm facade might have slipped. He might have shown the tiniest hint of a smile at the corners of his lips. His eyes might have lit up with that same strange emotion that Denlot just couldn't place. He might have bowed his head to hide all of this. But Lord Denlot just couldn't tell. He furrowed his brow in confusion. Had he imagined all of that?

"And good day to you, my lord. Good luck," said the counselor in that same silky yet cold and emotionless tone he always had.

* * *

Link didn't know how many hours it took to find Ashei, but when he finally did, she wasn't in her cell like he thought she would be. Somehow she'd managed to escape and was easily dispatching the guards in the dungeons. "Ashei?" he called out to her once she finished getting rid of the final guard.

She spun to face him. "Oh, there you are. I was looking for you," she said, sheathing her sword.

Link furrowed his brow. "Where did you get that?" he asked, looking at her weapon. "And how did you escape?"

She grinned and put her hands on her hips. "Easy. I escaped using that hair-clip trick you used the first time we were imprisoned together, then I stole a sword from one of the guards."

Link smiled. "Maybe I need to invest in some hair-clips."

Ashei flicked her hair over her shoulder. "You really should. They can be helpful, yeah?" She then looked to Midna, who was still unconscious in his arms. "Is she all right?"

"She'll be fine." She was strong; of course she'd be all right. Link glanced down to her and frowned. Although he wasn't _too _worried about her, he was still concerned about how he could possibly fight if he needed to when she was stuck in his arms and he couldn't really use his hands.

Ashei frowned. "Listen, Link... In my cell, I overheard some guards saying something about Kakariko."

"What?" What did that mean? Oh, Goddesses, hopefully the Tenrians weren't thinking about attacking Kakariko... He did not want that place to see the same suffering as Castle Town had seen.

Ashei shrugged, and as if she had read his thoughts she said, "I don't know, but I'm worried about Kakariko. Maybe you should go check it out, yeah?"

"What about you?"

Ashei smiled. "I'll be fine. I need to stay here and watch over Castle Town and figure out a way to clean up this mess. Somehow I need to get rid of these awful Tenrians, and you need to check on Kakariko Village and make sure everything's all right there." She made a vague gesture with her hands toward the exit of the dungeons.

Link glanced down to Midna in his arms. He pressed his lips together into a thin line and frowned. Where would it be safer for Midna - here or Kakariko? Neither place, actually. He'd just have to take her with him and do his best to protect her. "Be careful, Ashei," Link said quietly.

She nodded. "Of course I will. Don't worry. Just hurry up and check on Kakariko. We don't need any more of Hyrule to be ruined by the Tenrians... so you'd better hurry before it's too late."

Link carefully set Midna half-ways on the ground, still holding her with one arm, and used his free hand to grab one of the fallen guards's swords and strap it to his back. He sighed heavily and turned to leave the dungeons without another word. Ashei watched him climb up the stone staircase and toward the exit, then he disappeared from sight.

* * *

Once Link escaped from Castle Town undetected, he searched for Epona. He desperately hoped she was safe and that the Tenrians hadn't gotten to her. Hopefully she would have been able to run away in a situation like that to somewhere safer. Eventually Midna woke up, insisted she could walk by herself, and said she'd help him find Epona.

So they searched for her as best as they could, but still couldn't find her. Link brought his fingers to his lips and whistled the song she liked so much, but still she didn't appear.

Link stopped mid-step and frowned. He heard something... hoofbeats? Maybe it was Epona! No... there were too many hoofbeats at once. It had to be multiple horses.

"What is it?" Midna asked quietly, but Link put a finger to his lips for silence. He turned around to face the sound, only to see five Tenrian men mounted atop horses, trotting out of Castle Town and toward the north.

Link frowned. North... why north? What was up there? If they headed north and crossed the river, then veered west and followed that path for a little while... they'd reach Kakariko. Surely that was where they were headed. He watched them leave with his brow furrowed. He needed to follow them at a fair distance, and -

His own thoughts were interrupted when he heard quiet hoofbeats behind him. He froze, and in that split second, something nudged his shoulder. He whirled to face whatever it was, only to see Epona standing there above him. Link sighed in relief at the sight of her and instantly checked her over for wounds. She seemed fine. "Let's go," he whispered to Midna, climbing onto his mare's back and holding out a hand to help Midna up. Once she was on Epona's back behind him, she quickly wrapped her arms around him as not to fall off, and he urged his mare into a slow trot and followed the Tenrians at a safe distance.

Midna frowned. "Shouldn't we get rid of them here?" she asked quietly. "It would be so easy - just rush over to them and cut them down to make sure they don't get to Kakariko."

Link had told Midna what Ashei had said - that the Tenrians might have plans to go to Kakariko, and that only spelled out terrible things. He glanced over his shoulder at her and sighed. "I don't know. Can we take all five of them at once?"

Midna smirked. "Of course we can, Mister Important Hero! I've seen you take down entire armies of bulblins single-handedly!"

Link smiled at that. "I wouldn't say armies," he protested, "but it's worth a try. I don't want them to do to Kakariko what they've done to Castle Town." He looked forward again and watched the Tenrian men trotting onward, until they reached the small but elaborate stone bridge that spanned the rushing river. "Do you think you can use your magic?"

"You can count on it," Midna replied without hesitation.

Taking a deep breath, Link urged Epona into a gallop. His horse easily caught up to the others. "Midna, now!" Link called over the wind rushing in his ears.

He saw all five Tenrian men glance back at the sound of his voice. One of those men was Lord Denlot. He narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Men, attack!" he shouted.

Link felt Midna unwrap her arms from around him. She gasped when she teetered and very nearly fell off Epona, but she quickly grasped Link's waist again and steadied herself. She held tightly onto Epona's back using her legs, then pressed her hands together and formed a ball of her red magic. Baring her teeth, she tossed it at the nearest Tenrian guard, who toppled off his horse with a scream when the red lightning hit him and he fell over the edge of the bridge, splashing into the raging river below.

Link urged Epona to go even faster, and she obeyed. He drew the sword at his back as he came side-by-side with another one of the Tenrian men, and he sliced at the horse's hindquarters. The poor beast screamed in pain as its legs buckled beneath it, and it crashed to the stone bridge, trapping its rider beneath its weight.

Denlot and his two remaining men urged their horses into a gallop, but none of them could match Epona's amazing speed. They came to the end of the bridge, and the noise of hooves clattering desperately against stone changed to the sound of galloping on hard dirt and grass. The horses churned up clods of earth as they went, leaving clouds of dirt behind them. Link cut at another horse's legs, making the animal fall and crush its rider. Midna used her magic again to strike the fourth Tenrian soldier. Her lightning missed its mark, but it still managed to graze his hand, making the man scream in pain and release his hold on his horse's reins. He teetered and fell out of the saddle, crashing onto the ground with a shout and rolling a few yards. Epona quickly caught up to his rolling body and couldn't manage to dodge him in time, so her hooves crushed his chest with a sickening crack.

Lord Denlot glanced over his shoulder with gritted teeth and urged his horse to go faster, but the poor animal was already struggling. Though Epona was getting tired, she was a strong horse, and slowly but surely she was catching up to Denlot. Link lashed out with his sword to strike the other horse's leg, but Denlot veered the beast sharply to the left, forcing it out of Link's range.

The two horses entered the narrow, rocky pass that led toward the Bridge of Eldin. Hopefully here, Link could corner Denlot and cut him down somehow. He leaned forward in Epona's saddle as she devoured the space between her and Denlot's horse, and soon he was close enough to try and attack the man's beast again. He swiped his sword at the horse's flank; again Denlot steered it barely out of the way. He drew his own sword and sliced at Link, who quickly blocked the attack with gritted teeth.

Midna formed another ball of magic in her hands and tossed it at Denlot, but he ducked just in time, and the red lightning missed him entirely, instead exploding against the rock wall behind him and sending shards of stone flying everywhere. Link felt Midna grasp at his waist and groan. She had probably used too much of her power and was feeling weak... It would be bad if she passed out now, of all times. He couldn't let that happen. "I'll take care of him!" he called to Midna over the wind and the loud sound of hoofbeats.

"Have fun," Midna grumbled, and he barely heard her.

Lord Denlot lashed out with his sword again, forcing Link to block. He instantly spun his sword toward Denlot's exposed side and cut at him, but the man easily deflected the attack. Copying Link's tactic, he sliced at Epona's leg, forcing Link to steer his mare to the right to avoid the attack. Link lifted his sword to retaliate, but Denlot jerked his horse's reins, forcing the beast to slow dramatically as it whinnied in protest, then he steered it to come behind Link.

Gritting his teeth, Link jerked Epona to the left and slowed her down so that she came neck-and-neck with the other horse. He sliced at Denlot; the man parried and thrust his sword at Link. Link quickly deflected the blow and tried to take advantage of any openings left in Denlot's defenses, but the other man quickly blocked. A similar pattern continued for quite some time, and the sound of steel clashing against steel echoed through the narrow, rock pass.

Denlot was good - really good. Every time Link attempted a feint or tried a different tactic to confuse the man and land an attack on him, his enemy would always retaliate without the slightest hesitation. Link was losing. He knew that if he didn't finish off Denlot as quickly as possible, he'd be hurt or even killed.

The two horses emerged from the rocky pass and into Hyrule Field once more. They would be nearing the Bridge of Eldin soon, Link knew... How much longer could he fight?

Then he had an idea. His eyes flicked to the Bridge of Eldin and the deep, dark ravine beneath it, then he returned his gaze to Denlot just in time to parry an attack from the man. Lord Denlot was so utterly focused on his battle with Link that he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings; he wasn't even steering his horse. The poor, confused animal just seemed to be staying by Epona's side, unsure of what else to do. All Link had to do was keep Denlot distracted...

He focused all his attention on battling Lord Denlot, and just as he'd predicted, the man paid no heed to his surroundings and instead focused on blocking each of Link's attacks and trying to attack him in return.

Link flicked his gaze one more time to the deep ravine in front of him. Their horses were eating up ground; they were so close now. He just had to keep Denlot distracted for a few more seconds, and he had to make sure to keep the other man's horse moving. He could see the poor beast's eyes widening in panic as it watched the edge of the ravine creep ever closer. Link sliced at its hindquarters.

Denlot, as Link had predicted, tugged his horse's reins to the right to avoid the attack, then spurred it onward, still keeping his eyes locked intently on his enemy.

Link smirked.

Lord Denlot's horse screamed as it came dangerously near to the edge. Link jerked Epona's reins, forcing her to come skidding to a stop. In a split second, Denlot's eyes clouded with confusion as he saw Link stop, then he turned his gaze forward to see the black ravine yawning before him. The horse, terrified of the steep drop off the edge, attempted to stop - but it was too late. Its hooves scrambled at the rocky ground, desperately trying to halt its progress, but it only managed to slow a fraction before it dropped into the ravine with a terrified whinny. Denlot let go of his horse's reins and screamed as he dropped over the edge, his hands scrambling against the rock wall for purchase, but he found none. The blackness of the deep ravine swallowed both horse and rider.

Link stared over the edge, terrified at how satisfied he felt. He had just killed a man. Shouldn't he be sad over the poor man's death? But he didn't. Instead, he looked into the ravine with cold eyes. It was only what Denlot deserved for trying to ruin Hyrule. Ameia had deserved her fate as well. It was only fair.

No, why was he feeling like this? When he had first discovered he had killed Ameia, he'd been terrified. But he'd been more scared of the fact that he'd turned into a mindless beast and could have hurt his friends than he was over the fact that he'd brutally slaughtered the Tenrian princess. Why didn't he care about taking the life of the Tenrians? What was wrong with him? Shouldn't he have regretted killing a bunch of human men?

"Good job," Midna said, breaking him out of his thoughts. She patted his back. "Now we should move on. Don't you want to check on Kakariko to make sure it's safe?"

He nodded wordlessly, but didn't move other than that. He sat there on Epona's back for a long time until the mare turned her eye to look at him in concern. She sensed his confusion, he could tell... and so did Midna, because she leaned forward to peek over his shoulder and look at him. "Link?"

He averted his eyes. "Let's go."

"Wait a minute." She furrowed her brow. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he lied.

She frowned at him. "You're a terrible liar... Look at me."

He didn't.

She huffed impatiently and gently grabbed his chin, then turned his head to the side. "Tell me what's wrong."

He finally lifted his eyes to meet hers. "I'm just... confused," he mumbled, hating to admit it. It made him feel weak.

"About what?" Midna asked, her tone more patient now.

"About... killing," he said in an even quieter tone, and he looked away to avoid her intense red-eyed gaze. "I _should _feel bad for killing all these men. They're humans. They have hopes and dreams and feelings just like I do. So why don't I care?" He was rambling now. He sighed in frustration and decided to shut up.

Midna pressed a hand to his cheek. "They're trying to ruin your home. They're trying to destroy everything you care most about. You're only killing them out of necessity. You are only giving them what they asked for." She let her hand drop to his waist, and she wrapped her arms around him. "You don't need to feel bad at all."

He thought about her words for a moment before he gave a weak nod. "Thanks."

"So... let's go," Midna urged, leaning back a little so she was more comfortably seated on Epona's back.

Link patted his mare's neck. "And thank you, Epona," he whispered to her, and she flicked her ear in response. Where would he be without her? He would have lost the fight with Lord Denlot, that was for sure. He stroked at her neck a final time before he urged her into a comfortable walk as not to overexert her. She went onto the Bridge of Eldin, and the sound of hooves clattering against stone rang through the air for a while until she had crossed the vast ravine.

The horse and her riders trekked across Hyrule Field for a long while until they reached the red-rock pass that led into Kakariko Village itself. But something was wrong. Link gently pulled Epona to a stop. Screams. He heard screams. His eyes widened. "Link, what is it?" Midna asked quietly.

"Something is wrong," he answered. He drew his sword to prepare for the worst and spurred Epona into a trot toward the village.

* * *

**A/N: Soooo there ya go :P I actually had more fun writing this chapter than I've had in a long time. :3 Hope you guys enjoyed it too. If you didn't... I'm sorry :c**

**Thanks again for all your ****awesome reviews and continued support! You are all so amazing and you make me feel better about myself, lol. x3**

**If you did notice a mistake in this chapter or if something happened that you think is really stupid and needs to be changed, let me know. Thanks! xD**


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